FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 


REV.  LOUIS  FITZGERALD  BENSON,  D.  D. 


BEQUEATHED  BY  HIM  TO 

THE  LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


Division  C  O 
Section  /V/fl 


4 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/bettermusicinourOOwalk 


Better  Music 

Churches 

// 


By  JOHN  MANN  WALKER 


ASSISTED  BY 

Dean  Robert  G.  McCutchan,  Van  Denman  Thompson, 
Willard  E.  Beck,  Orien  W.  Fifer,  Edith  Lovell  Thomas, 

and  others 


INTRODUCTION  BY 

WILBUR  P.  T H IRKIELD 

Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


Music  is  a  gift  from  God  and  not  from  men.  It  puts  the  devil  to 
flight  and  renders  man  cheerful.  It  makes  him  forget  anger,  immodesty, 
and  every  vice.  To  it  1  assign  the  highest  place  after  theology. 

— Martin  Luther. 


THE  METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,  1923,  by 
JOHN  MANN  WALKER 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


To  THE 

Musicians  of  Methodism 
An  Inadequate  but  Cordial 
Tribute 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

Introduction .  7 

Bishop  Wilbur  P.  Thirkield 

Preface .  11 

Our  Contributors .  15 

Wesley’s  Directions  for  Congregational 
Singing .  17 

I.  The  Right  Uses  of  Music  in  the  Program  of 

the  Church .  19 

Orien  W.  Fifer 


II.  Making  and  Using  the  Music  Committee _  30 

John  M.  Walker 

III.  Building,  Maintaining,  and  Using  a  Choir  . .  43 


Willard  E.  Beck 

IV.  The  Organ  in  the  Church  Service .  52 

Van  Denman  Thompson 

V.  Music  in  the  Sunday  School .  62 

Edith  Lovell  Thomas 

VI.  The  Sunday  School  Orchestra .  80 

John  M.  Walker  and  A.  P.  Wagoner 

VII.  Music  and  the  Revival  Meeting .  84 

John  M.  Walker 

VIII.  The  Gospel  Song  Book .  100 

Robert  G.  McCutchan 

IX.  The  Director  of  Music .  115 

Robert  G.  McCutchan 

X.  Music  in  the  Small  Church .  125 

Robert  G.  McCutchan 

XI.  Music  at  Funerals . '. .  135 

John  M.  Walker 

5 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XII.  A  Sketch  op  the  Development  of  Music  in 

the  Christian  Church .  142 

Robert  G.  McCutchan 

XIII.  Promoting  Church  Music  in  Groups  op 

Churches .  164 

John  M.  Walker 

XIV.  Notes  from  the  Field .  174 

John  M.  Walker 

Appendix . 207 

1.  Some  Good  Books  on  Church  Music . 207 

2.  A  List  of  Anthems  for  Beginning  Choir ....  209 

3 .  Prospectus  of  the  Rushville  Conference  on 

Church  Music . 211 


6 


INTRODUCTION 


This  book  is  the  result,  not  of  mere  theory 
as  to  methods  for  the  improvement  of  the  type 
of  church  music  and  its  expression  through 
choir  and  congregation,  but  is  the  outcome  of 
direct  constructive  efforts  to  this  end.  The 
author  has  organized  and  successfully  con¬ 
ducted  conventions  in  the  interest  of  the  eleva¬ 
tion  of  the  spirit  and  methods  of  church  music. 
These  definite  and  practical  programs  have 
brought  together  large  groups  of  ministers  and 
laymen,  and  have  already  exercised  a  pro¬ 
nounced  influence  in  the  deepening  of  interest 
in  church  music,  and  have  made  a  definite  con¬ 
tribution  to  the  enrichment  of  the  service  of 
song  in  the  sanctuary. 

The  addresses  in  this  volume  by  experts  in 
sacred  music  must  prove  of  singular  value  to 
the  ever-enlarging  group  who  are  seeking  to 
advance  and  deepen  the  religious  life  through 
the  effective  rendering  of  music  in  the  church. 
The  author  is  a  leader  in  this  worthy  and  noble 
task,  and  his  book  should  serve  to  carry  for¬ 
ward  the  influence  of  the  movement  until  it 
shall  nobly  touch  and  inspire  the  musical  life 

7 


INTRODUCTION 


throughout  the  church.  The  place  of  the  organ 
in  the  service,  as  one  of  the  voices  of  God  is 
exalted.  So  it  is  that  even  the  prelude  should 
set  the  soul  in  tune  and  inspire  the  spirit  of 
devotion ;  as  in  the  case  of  John  Wesley,  who, 
in  his  Journal ,  makes  this  significant  observa¬ 
tion  in  1781:  “I  went  to  New  Church  and 
found  an  uncommon  blessing  when  the  organ¬ 
ist  was  playing  the  voluntary.” 

When  will  our  ministers  fully  recognize  the 
value  of  the  Methodist  Hymnal,  which  James 
Martineau  pronounced  “the  greatest  instru¬ 
ment  of  Christian  praise  since  the  apostles”? 
In  view  of  the  present  situation  we  may  well 
ask,  why  is  it  that  the  majority  of  congrega¬ 
tions  are  unable  to  sing  the  truly  great  hymns 
set  to  lofty  choral  melodies  and  elevated  har¬ 
monies  by  the  great  composers?  Why  is  it 
that  many  of  the  old  hymns  are  sung  so  often, 
whether  they  fit  into  the  occasion  or  not,  until 
they  become  monotonous  and  threadbare? 
The  pastor  says  so  complacently,  “Well,  they 
are  the  only  hymns  the  people  know.”  That 
may  be  true,  but  is  it  not  the  fault  of  the  pas¬ 
tor?  It  is  his  business  to  know  his  hymnal 
and  to  see  that  the  people  are  taught  to  know 
and  to  love  the  great  hymns  and  tunes  of  the 
ages.  This  is  the  Pauline  method :  “Teach  and 
train  one  another  with  the  music  of  the 


INTRODUCTION 


Psalms,  with  hymns,  and  songs  of  the  spiritual 
life”  (Moffatt).  The  attractive  power  of  good 
music  and  the  moving  force  of  inspiring  sing¬ 
ing  by  the  congregation  should  be  recognized 
by  every  pastor.  Sympathetic  cooperation 
with  the  choir  will  work  wonders. 

You  cannot  drive  out  the  cheap  modern 
songbooks,  with  their  often  inane  words  and 
ragtime  melodies,  by  simply  inveighing 
against  them.  They  can,  however,  be  sup¬ 
planted  by  the  expulsive  power  of  a  new  af¬ 
fection  for  the  ancient  and  modern  hymns  that 
have  been  tested  and  survive.  Aside  from  the 
enrichment  of  life  in  worship,  inspiring  sing¬ 
ing  by  the  congregation  has  drawing  power, 
sometimes  beyond  the  sermon.  Early  Method¬ 
ist  itinerants  were  singing  pilgrims.  Like 
Punshon  they  knew  and  used  the  hymns.  It 
is  significant  that  the  seraphic  Summerfield 
before  preaching  would  walk  up  and  down  re¬ 
peating  hymns  with  the  trumpet  sound  that  set 
his  soul  aflame  for  his  message.  Says  a  friend 
who  was  with  him  one  day  prior  to  his  entering 
the  pulpit:  “For  an  hour  he  walked  the  floor 
reading  in  an  undertone  some  of  Charles  Wes¬ 
ley’s  most  rapturous  hymns,  then  throwing 
himself  on  his  knees  he  would  talk  with  God, 
craving  with  wonderful  earnestness  the  power 
from  on  high.”  If  the  minister  knows  the 

9 


INTRODUCTION 


great  hymns  and  is  possessed  by  the  movement 
and  spirit  of  the  noblest  tunes  to  which  they 
are  set,  the  contagion  of  his  inspiration  and 
devotion  is  sure  to  move  the  congregation  to 
exultant  praise. 

Such  is  the  aim  of  this  volume  of  addresses, 
and  we  predict  that  it  will  exercise  a  broad¬ 
ening  influence  in  ennobling  and  enriching  the 
spirit  of  worship  through  sacred  song  in  the 
congregation. 

Wilbur  P.  Thirkield. 


10 


PREFACE 


It  has  been  a  principle  with  the  editor  of 
this  volume  to  do  the  thing  that  was  being 
neglected.  Because  in  the  section  where  he 
was  living  church  music,  in  so  many  of  the 
churches,  especially  the  smaller  ones,  seemed 
to  be  an  extemporaneous  or  fortuitous  matter, 
with  the  fortune  leaning  strongly  toward  bad 
music,  he  conceived  the  notion  of  holding  a 
district  conference  to  awaken  and  direct  in¬ 
terest.  The  conference  was  exceedingly  suc¬ 
cessful,  and  at  once  music  took  an  upward 
course.  That  which  is  perfect  is  not  yet  come, 
but  the  movement  is  on,  and  now  all  that  is 
necessary  is  to  keep  it  going,  expecting  after  a 
series  of  years  to  reap  those  greater  results 
which  come  only  through  development. 

At  once,  after  the  first  conference,  the  sug¬ 
gestion  was  made  that  the  remarkably  helpful 
addresses  that  were  given  should  be  made 
available  in  printed  form.  After  two  more 
conferences,  which  were  held  the  following 
year,  the  suggestion  was  renewed,  and  this 
volume  is  the  result.  Some  of  the  chapters 
are  but  slightly  revised  forms  of  addresses  that 

11 


PREFACE 


were  given  at  these  meetings.  Others  were 
prepared  solely  for  this  volume. 

By  no  means,  however,  were  the  conferences 
mentioned  above  the  first  or  only  efforts  of  the 
editor  to  improve  church  music.  His  interest 
in  this  matter  has  run  through  many  years. 
But  nothing  he  has  ever  attempted  resulted  in 
quite  such  marked  results  as  the  district  con¬ 
ferences  on  church  music  above  referred  to. 

As  will  be  seen,  the  aim  of  this  book  is 
wholly  practical.  Its  purpose  is  not  so  much 
to  make  a  contribution  to  music  as  to  the 
church.  Expert  musicians  will  look  within 
its  pages  in  vain,  if  they  should  look  at  all, 
to  find  anything  new  or  important  about  music 
in  itself.  We  hope,  however,  that  even  the 
most  expert  may  find  something  of  value  with 
reference  to  the  problem  of  using  music  ef¬ 
fectively  as  an  agency  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 
However,  it  ought  to  be  said  and  will  be  mani¬ 
fest  to  all  that  this  book  is  keyed  not  to  the 
knowledge  and  skill  of  the  few  but  to  the  needs 
of  the  many. 

With  the  foregoing  explanations,  it  is  per¬ 
haps  not  necessary  for  the  editor  to  make  any 
apologies  for  not  being  a  highly  trained  mu¬ 
sician  himself.  His  contribution  has,  rather, 
been  from  the  side  of  the  manager,  a  manager, 
however,  with  a  deep  love  for  music  and  some- 

12 


PREFACE 


thing  of  appreciation  of  its  vital  place  in  the 
Kingdom. 

There  will  be  found  some  disagreements  and 
some  repetitions  in  this  book.  But  it  was 
thought  better  to  allow  each  contributor  per¬ 
fect  freedom  in  the  expression  of  his  ideas; 
and  as  for  repetitions,  they  will  but  serve  to 
emphasize  salient  points. 

With  deep  gratitude  to  those  who  have  co¬ 
operated  with  him,  he  submits  the  work  to 
supplement  the  other  valuable  works  which 
have  had  a  kindred  purpose,  but  which  so  far 
as  he  has  noted  do  not  cover  quite  the  field 
which  this  work  is  intended  to  cover,  and 
which  is  so  important. 

J.  M.  W. 

Rushville,  Indiana. 


13 


JSr 


OUR  CONTRIBUTORS 


1.  Bishop  Wilbur  P.  Thirkield,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
a  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

2.  Orien  W.  Fifer,  D.D.,  Pastor  of  the  Cen¬ 
tral  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  In¬ 
dianapolis,  Indiana. 

3.  Willard  E.  Beck,  for  twenty-six  years  the 
Director  of  Music  of  the  Broadway  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

4.  Van  Denman  Thompson,  Mus.  Bac.,  Or¬ 
ganist  of  DePauw  University,  Organist  and 
Director  of  Music  of  the  First  Evangelical 
Church,  Indianapolis,  and  Dean  of  the  Indiana 
Chapter  of  the  American  Guild  of  Organists. 

5.  A.  P.  Wagoner,  for  twenty-five  years  an 
instructor  on  band  and  orchestra  instruments ; 
for  eighteen  years  the  proprietor  of  a  music 
store,  and  for  seventeen  years  the  leader  of  the 
Sunday-school  orchestra  in  Saint  Paul’s  Meth¬ 
odist  Episcopal  Church,  Rushville,  Indiana. 

6.  Edith  Lovell  Thomas,  B.R.E.,  College  Or¬ 
ganist,  and  Instructor  in  Worship  and  Music 
in  the  Boston  University  School  of  Religious 
Education. 

7.  Robert  G.  McCutchan,  Mus.  Bac.,  Dean 

15 


OUR  CONTRIBUTORS 


of  the  School  of  Music  of  DePauw  University, 
Greencastle,  Indiana;  Director  of  the  Univer¬ 
sity  Choir ;  and  Director  of  the  Summer 
School  of  Music,  Bay  View,  Michigan. 

8.  John  M.  Walker,  D.D.,  District  Superin¬ 
tendent  of  the  Connersville  District,  Indiana 
Conference,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


\ 


16 


WESLEY’S  DIRECTIONS  FOR  CONGRE¬ 
GATIONAL  SINGING 


(Published  in  Sacred  Melody  in  1761. 
Quoted  from  Lightwood’ s  Hymn-tunes  and 
Their  Story.) 

1.  Learn  these  tunes  before  you  learn  any 
others;  afterward  learn  as  many  as  you  can. 

2.  Sing  them  exactly  as  they  are  printed 
here,  without  altering  or  mending  them  at  all ; 
and  if  you  have  learned  to  sing  them  otherwise, 
unlearn  it  as  soon  as  you  can. 

3.  Sing  all.  See  that  you  join  with  the  con¬ 
gregation  as  frequently  as  you  can.  Let  not  a 
slight  degree  of  weariness  hinder  you.  If  it  is 
a  cross  for  you,  take  it  up,  and  you  will  find  it 
a  blessing. 

4.  Sing  lustily  and  with  a  good  courage. 
Beware  of  singing  as  if  you  were  half-dead,  or 
half  asleep ;  but  lift  up  your  voice  with 
strength.  Be  no  more  afraid  of  your  voice  now, 
nor  more  ashamed  of  its  being  heard,  than 
when  you  sung  the  songs  of  Satan. 

5.  Sing  modestly.  Do  not  bawl,  so  as  to  be 
heard  above  or  distinct  from  the  rest  of  the 
congregation,  that  you  may  not  destroy  the 

U 


CONGREGATIONAL  SINGING 


harmony ;  but  strive  to  unite  your  voices  to¬ 
gether,  so  as  to  make  one  clear  melodious 
sound. 

6.  Sing  in  time.  Whatever  time  is  sung  be 
sure  to  keep  with  it.  Do  not  run  before  nor 
stay  behind  it ;  but  attend  close  to  the  leading 
voices,  and  move  therewith  as  exactly  as  you 
can ;  and  take  care  not  to  sing  too  slow.  This 
drawling  way  naturally  steals  on  all  who  are 
lazy ;  and  it  is  high  time  to  drive  it  out  from 
among  us,  and  sing  all  our  tunes  just  as  quick 
as  we  did  at  first. 

7.  Above  all  sing  spiritually.  Have  an  eye 
to  God  in  every  word  you  sing.  Aim  at  pleas¬ 
ing  Him  more  than  yourself,  or  any  other  crea¬ 
ture.  In  order  to  do  this  attend  strictly  to  the 
sense  of  what  you  sing,  and  see  that  your  heart 
is  not  carried  away  with  the  sound,  but  offered 
to  God  continually;  so  shall  your  singing  be 
such  as  the  Lord  will  approve  of  here,  and  re¬ 
ward  you  when  he  cometh  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven. 


18 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  RIGHT  USES  OF  MUSIC  IN  THE 
PROGRAM  OF  THE  CHURCH 

ORIEN  W.  FIFER 

If  music  in  the  church  is  simply  to  take  up 
time  while  the  preacher  finds  his  text;  if  it 
is  to  be  a  means  whereby  somebody  shows 
oft  and  advertises  some  vocal  gymnastics  for 
the  praise  of  all  the  relatives ;  if  it  is  simply  to 
fill  up  gaps  between  the  testimonies  of  very 
slow-speaking  saints;  if  it  is  to  be  a  separate 
program  from  the  program  of  the  minister — 
a  sort  of  sideshow  of  amusement,  amazement, 
and  distraction ;  if  it  is  to  have  no  quality  or 
purpose  or  personality  that  is  religious1 — then 
it  has  no  place  in  the  program  of  the  church. 
Like  fire,  music  in  the  church  is  a  fine  servant, 
but  a  mighty  poor  master.  If  the  music  runs 
the  church  program,  or  if  there  is  a  wall  of 
separation  between  the  choir  leader  and  the 
preacher,  between  the  work  of  the  choir  and 
the  prayer  of  the  church,  it  has  no  place  in  the 
church. 

The  rightful  uses  and  place  are  so  great  that 

19 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


human  mind  cannot  measure  them.  The  right 
uses  of  music  in  the  church  entire,  in  every 
department,  are  so  many,  so  holy,  so  efficient, 
that  one  is  awed  before  the  attempt  to  discuss 
them.  Some  of  the  most  holy  purposes  of  God 
have  been  committed  to  the  service  of  music. 
When  the  good  news  was  first  given  to  men  on 
the  pasture  fields  of  Bethlehem,  “suddenly 
there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the 
heavenly  host  singing,  ‘Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward 
men.’  ”  In  this  announcement  of  Jesus’  birth 
and  the  prophecy  of  his  world  redemption, 
God  made  a  spiritual,  evangelistic  use  of 
music. 

In  the  Protestant  Reformation  Luther  ren¬ 
dered  a  conspicuous  service,  even  equal  to  his 
defense  and  example  of  liberty  of  conscience 
and  thinking,  in  giving  to  the  people  songs  in 
their  own  language.  One  cannot  think  of  the 
Methodist  movement  in  England  apart  from 
the  immortal  influence  of  Charles  Wesley  in 
writing  hymns : 

“These  hymns  have  raised  the  peasant  from  the  sod. 
Have  made  the  wild,  half-savage  nature  free, 

Have  reared  a  score  of  kingdoms  unto  God, 

And  laid  a  million  hearts  at  Jesus*  feet.’* 

The  singing  of  spiritual  songs  was  an  injunc- 

20 


THE  RIGHT  USES  OF  MUSIC 


tion  by  the  apostle  Paul  and  certainly  was  a 
habit  of  the  early  church. 

The  music  is  not  a  mere  church  accomplish¬ 
ment  but  a  real  factor  in  the  church  program. 
The  entire  program  is  built  about  the  message. 
The  music  is  not  to  divert  the  mind  from  the 
sermon,  either  in  the  personality  or  the  theme 
of  the  singer.  Becoming  dress,  evident  sym¬ 
pathy  with  the  song,  and  a  reputable  charac¬ 
ter  are  essential.  While  I  am  not  a  fanatic  on 
the  subject,  I  believe  that  singers  must  have  at 
least  pronounced  sympathy  with  the  church 
and  the  Christian  life,  and  far  better  if  they 
have  a  conscious  experience  in  salvation,  es¬ 
pecially  when  they  sing  evangelistic  or  invita¬ 
tion  songs.  Singers  not  Christians  may  be 
merged  in  chorus  work,  but  their  solo  work 
should  be  limited  to  patriotic,  secular,  or  an¬ 
niversary  occasions.  The  music  in  church 
services  should  be  a  blending  with  one  con¬ 
sistent  plan  of  the  minister.  He  is  ex-officio 
chairman  of  the  music  committee.  He  may 
delegate  the  details,  but  he  must  never  abdi¬ 
cate.  The  music  is,  in  the  main,  to  make  the 
message  effective  by  helping  prepare  the  con¬ 
gregation  to  receive  it. 

No  matter  what  else  the  church  may  do,  its 
highest  function  is  to  provide  a  place  for  quiet, 
secure,  helpful  worship.  A  church  may  be  a 

21 

/ 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 

place  of  instruction,  of  social  service,  of  enter¬ 
tainments,  of  instructive  lectures;  but  if  it 
fails  to  provide  the  people  with  an  atmosphere 
of  worship,  it  ought  to  tear  down  its  tower 
and  chisel  off  its  name.  Worship  is  the  food 
for  the  soul.  The  first  notion  of  temples,  of 
holy  places,  of  altars,  was  that  of  worship  to 
Deity.  Worship  is  the  adoration  of  God,  the 
consecration  to  God,  the  attempt  to  find  the 
will  of  God  and  to  commune  with  God.  It  is 
the  greatest  act  of  humanity.  In  his  worship 
man  is  aided  by  orderliness,  by  pleasant  sur¬ 
roundings,  by  freedom  from  interruption,  by 
the  sanctity  of  the  place,  by  the  behavior  of 
the  minister,  by  the  conduct  of  his  fellow  wor¬ 
shipers.  Places  of  worship  very  justly  should 
be  pleasant,  beautiful,  clean,  orderly,  and 
marked  by  evidences  of  thoughtful  care.  Ash 
heaps,  weeds,  mud  holes,  have  no  place  outside 
a  church  any  more  than  dirt  and  rusty  pipes 
and  cobwebs  and  disorderly  chairs  and  books 
and  a  mess  of  litter  have  place  inside.  When 
a  man  comes  with  his  family  to  meal  time  he 
likes  cleanliness,  cheerfulness,  and  the  evi¬ 
dences  of  neatness  and  order.  How  much 
more,  then,  does  he  like  his  place  of  worship 
clean,  neat,  and  kept  in  reverence !  If  the  mu¬ 
sic  is  crude,  the  conduct  of  a  choir  irreverent, 
the  choice  of  selections  carelessly  made,  and  if 

22 


THE  RIGHT  USES  OF  MUSIC 


the  congregational  singing  is  allowed  to  be 
half-hearted  and  slovenly,  the  purpose  of  the 
hour  of  worship  is  thwarted  seriously. 

The  Choice  of  Hymns 

In  the  choice  of  hymns  the  minister  has  a 
privilege  of  unusual  value  and  influence. 
Many  hymns  are  chosen  at  haphazard  without 
any  apparent  study  of  occasion  or  effect.  No 
pastor  should  slight  the  choosing  of  hymns. 
No  pastor  should  delegate  the  choosing  of 
hymns  to  anyone  else.  The  singing  of  hymns  is 
important,  not  in  the  fact  that  one  or  two  are 
sung,  but  it  is  all  important  what  hymns  are 
sung.  The  opening  hymn  should  be  uplifting 
and  invigorating,  changing  the  spirit  of  folks 
who  almost  without  exception  come  rather 
weary,  worn,  often  irritable  or  depressed. 
The  opening  hymn  never  should  be  subdued, 
soothing,  depressing,  nor  mournful.  That 
there  is  need  for  a  quieting  influence,  I  admit ; 
but  it  should  come  through  joyful  uplifting 
rather  than  through  sad  memories.  For  exam¬ 
ples: 

“O  Thou,  in  whose  presence  my  soul  takes  delight. 

On  whom  in  affliction  I  call, 

My  comfort  by  day,  and  my  song  in  the  night, 

My  hope,  my  salvation,  my  all.” 

23 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


“Thou  whose  almighty  word, 

Chaos  and  darkness  heard, 

And  took  their  flight; 

Hear  us,  we  humbly  pray. 

And  where  the  gospel  day 
Sheds  not  its  glorious  ray, 

Let  there  he  light!” 

“0  sometimes  the  shadows  are  deep. 

And  rough  seems  the  path  to  the  goal, 

And  sorrows,  sometimes  how  they  sweep. 

Like  tempests  down  over  the  soul!” 

“O  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing 
My  great  Redeemer’s  praise, 

The  glories  of  my  God  and  king, 

The  triumphs  of  his  grace!” 

“Come,  thou  fount  of  every  blessing, 

Tune  my  heart  to  sing  thy  grace; 

Streams  of  mercy,  never  ceasing; 

Call  for  songs  of  loudest  praise. 

Teach  me  some  melodious  sonnet, 

Sung  by  flaming  tongues  above. 

Praise  the  mount — I’m  fixed  upon  it — 
Mount  of  thy  redeeming  love.” 

“Praise  the  Saviour,  all  ye  nations, 

Praise  him,  all  ye  hosts  above; 

Shout,  with  joyful  acclamations. 

His  divine,  victorious  love; 

Be  his  kingdom  now  promoted. 

Let  the  earth  her  monarch  know; 

Be  my  all  to  him  devoted, 

To  my  Lord  my  all  I  owe.” 

The  second  hymn  should  be  assuring,  comfort 
ing,  answering  to  the  inner  needs.  Examples 

24 


THE  RIGHT  USES  OF  MUSIC 


“Peace,  perfect  peace,  in  this  dark  world  of  sin? 
The  blood  of  Jesus  whispers  peace  within.” 

“O  Thou,  whose  bounty  fills  my  cup 
With  every  blessing  meet! 

I  give  thee  thanks  for  every  drop — 

The  hitter  and  the  sweet.” 


“Father,  whate’er  of  earthly  bliss 
Thy  sovereign  will  denies, 
Accepted  at  thy  throne  of  grace, 

Let  this  petition  rise: 

“Give  me  a  calm,  a  thankful  heart, 
From  every  murmur  free; 

The  blessings  of  thy  grace  impart, 
And  make  me  live  to  thee.” 


“If,  on  a  quiet  sea, 

Toward  heaven  we  calmly  sail, 

With  grateful  hearts,  O  God,  to  thee, 

We’ll  own  the  favoring  gale.” 

“O  for  a  heart  of  calm  repose 
Amid  the  world’s  loud  roar, 

A  life  that  like  a  river  flows 
Along  a  peaceful  shore!” 

The  third  hymn  should  be  one  of  consecra¬ 
tion,  activity,  or  acceptance,  like : 

“Lord,  speak  to  me,  that  I  may  speak 
In  living  echoes  of  thy  tone; 

As  thou  hast  sought,  so  let  me  seek 
Thy  erring  children,  lost  and  lone.” 

25 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


“Forward!  be  our  watchword, 

Steps  and  voices  joined; 

Seek  the  things  before  us, 

Not  a  look  behind: 

Burns  the  fiery  pillar 
At  our  army’s  head; 

Who  shall  dream  of  shrinking, 

By  our  Captain  led? 

Forward  through  the  desert, 

Through  the  toil  and  fight: 

Jordan  flows  before  us, 

Zion  beams  with  light!” 

“Take  my  life,  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  thee; 

Take  my  moments  and  my  days; 

Let  them  flow  in  ceaseless  praise; 

Take  my  hands,  and  let  them  move 
At  the  impulse  of  thy  love; 

Take  my  feet,  and  let  them  be 
Swift  and  beautiful  for  thee.” 

The  evening  hymns  should  be  of  a  different 
character.  The  “prayer”  hymn — that  is,  a 
hymn  which  in  itself  is  a  prayer — can  be  used 
often,  especially  after  a  song  service.  Exam¬ 
ples  are: 

“Now  the  day  is  over, 

Night  is  drawing  nigh; 

Shadows  of  the  evening 
Steal  across  the  sky. 

“Jesus,  grant  the  weary 
Calm  and  sweet  repose; 

With  thy  tenderest  blessing 
May  our  eyelids  close.” 

26 


THE  RIGHT  USES  OF  MUSIC 


“Day  is  dying  in  the  west; 

Heaven  is  touching  earth  with  rest:' 
Wait  and  worship  while  the  night 
Sets  her  evening  lamps  alight 
Through  all  the  sky. 

Holy,  holy,  holy  Lord  God  of  Hosts! 
Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  thee! 
Heaven  and  earth  are  praising  thee! 

O  Lord  most  high!” 

“Thus  far  the  Lord  hath  led  me  on, 

Thus  far  his  power  prolongs  my  days; 
And  every  evening  shall  make  known 
Some  fresh  memorial  of  his  grace.” 

“Silently  the  shades  of  evening 
Gather  round  my  lowly  door; 
Silently  they  bring  before  me 
Faces  I  shall  see  no  more.” 


The  church  music  is  not  for  the  Sunday 
preaching  services  alone.  It  belongs  to  every 
department.  The  plan  of  church  music  should 
embrace  certain  of  the  children’s  groups.  A 
Junior  Chorus  proves  a  genuine  delight  to  the 
congregation  and  provides  a  training  class  for 
boys  and  girls  to  become  members  of  the 
Church  Chorus.  A  Boys’  Choir  is  not  only  a 
welcome  incident  from  time  to  time  in  church 
services,  but  it  enables  Christian  truths  to 
reach  the  restless,  agile,  inquiring  minds  of 
boys  in  a  very  attractive  and  persuasive  man¬ 
ner.  The  young  people  usually  termed  the 

27 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


high-school  group  make  a  mixed  chorus  suit¬ 
able  for  many  special  occasions. 

The  teaching  of  church  hymns  all  too  often 
is  neglected  in  the  Sunday  school.  There  are 
standard  hymns  which  the  children  should 
learn  and  be  encouraged  to  sing  from  memory, 
very  early — such  hymns  as  “Silent  Night,” 
“Joy  to  the  World,”  “Rock  of  Ages,”  and 
“How  Firm  a  Foundation.”  They  will  not  be 
forgotten  through  the  coming  years.  It  is  not 
enough  for  a  church  or  Sunday  school  to  sing 
a  few  hymns.  It  should  endeavor  to  render 
creditable  special  selections,  parts  of  oratorios, 
pageants  in  which  music  occupies  a  large  part, 
and  cantatas  and  concerts  of  many  varieties. 
A  singing  church  is  very  apt  to  be  a  spiritual 
church. 

Church  music  should  have  a  more  noble 
place  in  evangelistic  effort.  The  songs  should 
do  more  than  stir  emotional  impulses.  They 
should  convey  great  truths.  Much  of  so-called 
evangelistic  singing  is  shallow  in  sentiment, 
cheap  in  value,  and  very  brief  in  effect.  Some 
very  popular  songs  in  modern  union  meetings 
will  not  bear  the  test  of  poetry,  music,  truth, 
or  good  sense.  They  are  written  apparently  to 
provide  vocal  effects  solely. 

More  use  should  be  made  of  instrumental 
music.  In  the  Sunday-school  departments,  es- 

28 


THE  RIGHT  USES  OF  MUSIC 


pecially  where  provision  is  made  for  such  de¬ 
partments  to  meet  separately,  small  orches¬ 
tras  are  invaluable.  Boys  and  girls  love  the 
use  of  musical  instruments.  Many  of  them  are 
given  lessons  early  on  piano,  cornet,  violin,  or 
flute.  Combinations  of  these  and  other  instru¬ 
ments  give  dignity  and  attractiveness  to  open¬ 
ing  and  closing  exercises.  Frequently  the  com¬ 
bined  choruses  and  orchestras  can  be  taken 
into  church  services,  on  special  occasions,  with 
profit.  The  church  program  should  claim  the 
consecrated  service  of  every  musical  instru¬ 
ment. 

Church  music  should  be  standardized.  Dit¬ 
ties  and  jingles  and  jazz  compositions  in  words 
or  notes  should  be  refused  place  in  every  school 
and  sanctuary.  Cultivation  of  a  taste  for 
cheap  music  creates  a  cheap  type  of  experience. 
Fewer  singing  books,  and  they  worth  using  for 
a  generation,  would  serve  the  church  far  better 
than  the  periodical  varieties  that  now  are  is¬ 
sued  and  sold  more  for  profit  than  service. 
Seldom  in  one  town  do  two  Sunday  schools 
use  the  same  book.  Even  churches  of  the  same 
denomination  give  the  wretched  example  of 
using  different  hymnals,  and  too  often  they  are 
chosen  without  regard  to  moral  or  musical 
values. 


29 


CHAPTER  II 


MAKING  AND  USING  THE  MUSIC 

COMMITTEE 

JOHN  M.  WALKER 

The  Discipline  provides  that  the  pastor  may 
have  the  fourth  Quarterly  Conference  appoint 
a  Music  Committee  of  three  or  more  members, 
of  which  the  pastor  shall  be  chairman,  which 
committee,  “cooperating  with  him,  shall  regu¬ 
late  all  matters  relating  to  this  part  of  divine 
worship.” 

The  Music  Committee  has  the  appointing  of 
the  pianist  or  organist,  the  election  of  the 
choir  leader,  or  the  director  of  music,  recom¬ 
mendations  as  to  music  books,  etc.,  referring 
to  the  official  board  or  Quarterly  Conference 
only  the  larger  items  of  expense  involved  for 
approval. 

In  the  larger  churches  the  Music  Commit¬ 
tee  is  used.  In  the  smaller  ones  it  seldom  is 
called  upon  to  do  anything.  It  ought  in  every 
church  to  be  carefully  chosen  and  used  for  its 
intended  purpose. 

The  natural  thing  is  to  appoint  the  organ¬ 
ist  and  the  choir  leader  on  this  committee.  I 


30 


THE  MUSIC  COMMITTEE 

think  this  is  a  mistake.  Since  the  committee 
itself  is  to  appoint  the  organist  and  choir 
leader,  certainly  these  ought  not  to  be  so 
placed  thaft  they  either  can  or  must  (elect 
themselves.  Sometimes,  too,  members  of  this 
committee  are  chosen  because  they  know  a 
little  music  but  regardless  of  their  other  quali¬ 
fications.  This,  too,  is  a  mistake.  Since  this 
committee  has  such  important  and  sometimes 
such  delicate  work  to  do,  it  ought  to  be  made 
up  of  people  of  good  judgment.  It  is  even  more 
important  that  they  have  good  judgment  than 
that  they  be  musicians.  Their  work  is  largely 
managerial  and  they  ought  to  have  mana¬ 
gerial  ability.  It  is  an  advantage  if  they  know 
something  of  music,  but  an  appreciation  of 
music,  with  good  judgment  and  the  knowledge 
of  how  to  deal  with  people,  is  more  impor¬ 
tant.  A  committee  to  choose  a  preacher  does 
not  necessarily  need  to  be  made  up  of  members 
who  can  preach  themselves,  although  such 
ability  might  be  of  advantage,  other  things 
being  equal.  So  with  the  Music  Committee. 
There  ought  to  be  the  ability  to  appreciate 
good  music,  but  beyond  that  no  technical 
knowledge  is  necessary.  In  fact,  it  may  be 
better  not  to  have  the  technical  knowledge, 
for  that  might  bring  them  into  comparison 
with  those  whom  they  choose. 

31 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


The  Music  Committee  haying  been  chosen, 
they  ought  to  elect  the  organist  and  choir 
leader  annually.  I  stress  that  word  “an¬ 
nually.”  Sometimes  an  intrenched  organist 
proves  to  be  a  handicap  and  an  embarrass¬ 
ment.  Just  as  the  preacher  is  chosen  annually, 
so  the  leaders  of  music  should  be  chosen  pe¬ 
riodically.  It  may  be  that  in  some  cases  a  con¬ 
tract  can  be  made  to  advantage  for  a  longer 
period  than  one  year,  but  there  ought  to  be  a 
time  to  elect  over  again.  If  the  leaders  of  mu¬ 
sic  are  to  be  continued,  they  deserve  the  in¬ 
dorsement  of  another  election;  if  a  change  is 
needed,  there  ought  to  be  opportunity  to  make 
this  in  course,  without  a  revolution. 

The  committee,  under  the  lead  of  the  pastor, 
should  use  all  the  wisdom  they  have  in  choos¬ 
ing  the  persons  best  fitted  for  the  work.  They 
ought  to  look  upon  their  task  as  a  very  respon¬ 
sible  one,  and  do  it  as  all  else  connected  with 
the  church  or  with  any  other  serious  institu¬ 
tion  ought  to  be  done,  namely,  with  an  eye 
single  to  securing  the  best  results. 

The  task  of  the  committee  does  not  end  with 
choosing  the  leaders.  This  committee  should 
stand  by  the  leaders  in  their  work,  furnishing 
them  with  supplies  and  facilities,  and  helping 
them  to  build  up  the  music  life  of  the  church. 
They  ought  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  good  sing- 

32 


THE  MUSIC  COMMITTEE 


ers  or  any  talent  which  may  well  be  used  in  the 
church  or  developed  to  the  advantage  of  the 
kingdom  of  God. 

They  will  need  to  watch  as  to  the  books  that 
are  chosen  for  use  in  the  church  or  Sunday 
school  or  in  any  other  department.  These 
various  departments  may  want  to  choose  their 
own  books,  but  certainly  in  a  judicious  way 
the  Music  Committee  of  the  church  ought  to 
be  ready  to  help  them  with  information  and 
encouragement  to  move  in  the  right  direction. 
The  Music  Committee  should  see  also  that 
pianos  and  organs  are  in  usable  condition. 

This  committee,  too,  is  to  prevent  trouble 
by  wise  foresight  or  by  prompt  action  in  the 
case  of  some  crisis.  Some  of  our  churches  have 
suffered  greatly  because  prompt  action  was  not 
taken  by  a  competent  committee  when  some 
difference  arose  in  the  choir.  The  choir  is  fre¬ 
quently  called  the  “war  department, ”  but  in 
my  experience  I  have  seen  no  more  reason  to 
give  that  name  to  the  choir  than  to  any  other 
branch  of  the  church.  Sometimes  the  official 
board  is  the  “war  department,”  or  the  Sunday 
school,  or  the  Ladies’  Aid.  Any  gathering  may 
become  a,  “war  department”  if  not  properly 
managed.  The  pastor  is  the  leader.  If  troubles 
needlessly  develop,  it  is  the  fault  of  the  pastor 
and  of  those  who  share  the  responsibility  with 

33 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


him.  In  many  cases  a  cowardly  or  incom¬ 
petent  pastor  has  allowed  frictions  to  develop 
which  crippled  the  church  for  years.  It  is  the 
business  of  the  Music  Committee,  under  the 
pastor’s  guidance,  to  foresee  the  approaching 
storm  and  prepare  for  it. 

Notwithstanding  its  serious  responsibility, 
however,  the  Music  Committee  need  not  inter¬ 
fere  unduly  with  the  work  of  the  experts  it  has 
chosen,  if  they  really  be  such.  Every  person  of 
parts  likes,  and  will  do  better  to  have,  a  suit¬ 
able  measure  of  freedom  and  room  for  initia¬ 
tive.  In  our  smaller  churches  suggestions  may 
be  very  necessary,  but  where  gifted  and  ex¬ 
perienced  workers  are  engaged,  as  in  many  of 
our  larger  churches,  it  would  certainly  be  poor 
judgment  to  humiliate,  fetter,  and  irritate 
them  with  needless  advice.  If  such  workers  do 
not  sense  their  task,  and  properly  correlate 
their  work  with  all  other  activities  of  the 
church,  suggestions  will  probably  be  futile, 
and  the  only  adequate  recourse  will  be  a 
change.  Encouragement  and  appreciation, 
however,  are  always  in  order. 

Apparently,  one  of  the  most  important  tasks 
for  the  Music  Committee,  in  our  smaller 
churches  especially,  is  to  cultivate  musical  tal¬ 
ent.  There  are  churches  where  there  is  no  com- 
petent  person  to  play  the  piano  or  to  lead  the 

34 


THE  MUSIC  COMMITTEE 


singing.  But  in  such  churches  are  there  not 
young  people  who  could  be  encouraged  to 
learn  to  do  these  things?  Certainly,  as  minis¬ 
ters  and  as  laymen,  we  ought  to  look  ahead 
and  prepare  our  young  people  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  church.  The  teaching  of  music 
in  the  public  schools  is  a  great  help  along  this 
line,  but  private  instruction  and  the  use  of 
music  schools  are  needed  to  carry  the  work  of 
the  public  schools  further.  Importing  a  com¬ 
petent  musician  to  act  as  pianist  and  choir 
leader  and  to  teach  the  young  would  some¬ 
times  be  good  policy. 

The  bringing  of  good  musicians  to  the 
church  occasionally  is  a  great  stimulus  to  the 
young  people  to  learn  to  sing  and  play.  Some¬ 
times  a  concert  will  set  a  number  of  young 
people  to  studying  music,  and  will  kindle  those 
who  are  studying  to  new  enthusiasm. 

Another  problem  is  to  use  the  musicians  we 
have.  Sometimes  there  is  good  ability  which 
is  going  to  waste.  Choirs  ought  to  be  organ¬ 
ized  to  sing  and  orchestras  trained  to  play  in 
church  and  Sunday  school  to  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  edification  of  the  people.  Sometimes 
there  are  people  who  are  prejudiced  against 
the  use  of  instruments  in  church  or  Sunday 
school.  These  need  to  be  managed  wisely, 
but  not  allowed  to  impoverish  and  hamstring 

35 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


the  church  services.  I  know  of  a  case — un¬ 
usual  in  these  days — where  a  fairly  good  vio¬ 
linist  was  not  allowed  to  play  in  church  or 
Sunday  school  because  of  prejudice  against 
his  instrument. 

The  question  of  the  use  of  our  more  pro¬ 
ficient  musicians  also  is  a  very  important  one. 
Sometimes  there  are  those  who  have  spent 
much  money  and  time  in  preparing  themselves 
to  sing  or  play,  and,  as  they  do  not  always  feel 
able  to  contribute  their  services  free  of  charge, 
they  look  around  for  some  way  to  reimburse 
themselves  for  their  outlay.  They  engage 
with  the  picture  shows,  or  play  for  dances,  or 
go  into  some  other  open  door.  The  church 
trains  up  many  a  musician  who  is  lost  entirely 
to  the  service  of  the  church  as  soon  as  he  be¬ 
comes  somewhat  proficient.  I  know  it  is  said 
that  musicians  ought  to  contribute  their  talent 
just  as  other  church  workers  contribute  theirs, 
but  due  allowance  is  not  always  made  for  the 
expense  of  a  musical  education  or  for  the 
necessities  of  making  a  living.  It  is  proper 
and  desirable  that  the  church  should  pay  some 
of  its  leaders  of  music,  and  make  openings  for 
those  of  developed  ability,  so  that  they  will  not 
be  driven  or  tempted  away  into  other  fields 
exclusively.  A  young  singer  of  ability  recently 
told  the  writer  that  she  would  much  prefer 

36 


THE  MUSIC  COMMITTEE 


to  use  her  voice  in  religious  work,  but  did  not 
know  how  she  could  make  a  living  if  she  did. 

The  church  needs  musical  talents  of  the 
highest  order,  but  how  shall  she  have  them  if 
we  continually  allow  so  many  of  the  developed 
or  developing  musicians  to  get  away  from  us, 
while  we  depend  on  training  up  some  more 
novices?  It  is  the  glory  of  the  church  that, 
inadequately  as  it  may  be  done,  she  kindles  so 
many  with  aspiration  and  helps  them  forward, 
but  shall  we  bid  them  good-by  as  soon  as  they 
learn,  and  depend  chiefly  on  beginners  or  on 
those  of  moderate  endowments  to  lead  our 
praise  of  God  in  song?  I  covet  for  the  church 
her  share  of  the  world’s  musical  geniuses,  her 
Carusos,  her  Sembrichs,  her  Alma  Glucks,  her 
Seottis.  But  who  can  point  to  one  such  giving 
his  life  to  the  work  of  the  church?  Is  it  ab¬ 
surd  to  expect  such  a  thing?  From  a  financial 
standpoint  perhaps  it  is,  at  the  present  time, 
but  is  there  not  need  and  scope  in  the  minis¬ 
tries  of  the  church  for  such  great  and  refined 
musical  talents?  The  slur  at  the  music  of  the 
church  as  an  unsuitable  field  for  the  play  of 
such  high  gifts,  while  all  too  well  justified  by 
conditions  as  they  are,  is  far  from  being  justi¬ 
fiable  when  we  think  of  possibilities  and  needs. 
The  world  is  yet  to  hear  its  highest  music  in 
the  incomparable  enterprise  of  the  church, 

37 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


in  its  effort  toward  the  supreme  purposes  for 
which  it  was  raised  up.  Let  no  one  think  that 
talents  of  any  kind  can  be  too  high  to  find  ade¬ 
quate  exercise  in  that  most  exalted  and  sig¬ 
nificant  of  all  human  activities. 

But  the  day  of  blindness  must  pass.  As  there 
is  no  hesitancy,  or  ought  not  to  be,  in  urging  the 
finest  gifts  to  yield  themselves  to  the  pastorate 
when  God  calls,  so  there  must  be  an  equally  in¬ 
telligent  and  believing  alertness  to  encourage 
the  noblest  talents  in  every  other  line  to  devote 
themselves,  as  God  may  direct,  to  the  King¬ 
dom’s  exalted  enterprises.  What  uplift  in  the 
services  of  worship,  what  power  in  evangelism 
will  be  added  when  priests  and  priestesses  of 
music  also  minister  at  the  altars!  But  the 
church  must  be  open  minded  toward  these 
things ;  it  must  encourage  them ;  it  must  make 
provision,  financial  and  otherwise,  whereby  it 
may  become  possible  for  this  additional  power 
to  be  used  in  the  work  of  the  Kingdom  in  defi¬ 
nitely  spiritual  ways. 

Of  course,  as  already  intimated,  these  vir¬ 
tuosi,  if  they  gave  themselves  to  the  work  of 
the  church,  would  do  so,  at  present,  at  enor¬ 
mous  financial  sacrifice.  But  shall  we  not  be¬ 
lieve  that  among  singers  and  instrumentalists 
there  are  spirits  as  willing  to  sacrifice  in  the 
great  work  as  are  the  highly  endowed  men  of 

38 


THE  MUSIC  COMMITTEE 


the  pulpit?  Other  such  gifted  ones  might  not 
feel  called  upon  to  give  themselves  wholly  to 
the  work  of  the  church,  nor  should  anyone  ex¬ 
pect  them  to,  but,  while  going  on  with  their 
vocations,  they  could  lend  their  services  at 
times,  just  as  do  men  and  women  of  distin¬ 
guished  gifts  in  other  lines.  Possibly  there 
is  more  of  this  done  now  than  we  know.  Cer¬ 
tainly,  many  great  singers  help  generously 
with  their  means  if  not  with  their  voices.  But 
shall  such  service,  gracious  as  it  may  be,  be 
thought  adequate? 

The  attitude  of  the  church  itself  has  doubt¬ 
less  had  an  important  bearing  on  this  problem. 
Too  often  has  there  been  indiscriminate  con¬ 
demnation  of  all  who  were  on  the  public  stage 
or  platform.  Such  an  attitude  could  not  do 
otherwise  than  aggravate  an  already  difficult 
situation.  But  truth  and  grace  will  march  on 
until,  while  evil  in  every  place  and  in  every 
form  will  be  banned,  the  good  likewise  in  every 
place  and  in  every  form  will  be  approved  and 
encouraged  and  appreciated. 

Is  it  too  much  to  expect  the  Music  Commit¬ 
tee  to  take  hold  of  these  phases  of  their  big 
problem?  Let  faith  and  heavemborn  purpose 
give  the  answer.  Rightly  at  work,  the  Music 
Committee  will  not  only  look  after  all  the 
usual  and  indispensable  details  and  arrange- 

39 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


merits  for  the  ministry  of  music  in  their 
church,  but  will  seek  out  the  Charles  Wesleys, 
the  Lowell  Masons,  the  Friedrich  Handels, 
and  help  them  toward  the  maturing  of  their 
powers  that  they  may  take  their  due  places 
and  make  their  immortal  contribution  as 
Apostles  of  Sacred  Music.  Yea,  and  this  com¬ 
mittee  too  will  mark  the  Miriams  and  the 
Davids,  the  Jenny  Linds  and  the  Schumann 
Heinks,  the  Whitneys  and  the  McCormacks 
and  will  cheer  them  on  till  their  genius  shines 
with  imperishable  splendor  to  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  delectation  of  his  earthly  children. 

Nor  is  aught  that  has  been  said  a  reflection 
on  those  choice  spirits  who,  with  conspicuous 
devotion,  and  sometimes  at  great  sacrifice,  are 
giving  their  ministries  in  music  so  valuably 
to  the  church  at  the  present  time.  None  more 
than  these  would  hail  the  day  of  greater  ap¬ 
preciation  on  the  part  of  the  church  of  what 
they  are  trying  to  do,  and  the  induction  into 
comradeship  with  them  of  the  first  order  of 
gifts  and  abilities  in  all  lines  of  music.  For 
these  know  that  on  the  organ  bench  alone  has 
the  church  retained  her  grip  on  the  most  gifted 
musicians,  and  this  has  come  about  not  chiefly 
because  the  church  was  so  appreciative  of  these 
musicians,  but  because  most  of  the  pipe  or¬ 
gans  have  been  in  the  churches.  The  installing 

40 


THE  MUSIC  COMMITTEE 


of  organs  in  other  places  is  likely  to  put  even 
this  hitherto  secure  territory  under  fire  from 
commercial  quarters,  if  not  from  within  the 
church  itself. 

The  character  of  those  who  take  part  in  the 
services  of  the  church  may  well  be  a  matter  of 
concern  to  the  Music  Committee.  Both  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  effect  of  the  singer  on 
the  worshipers  and  from  that  of  the  rendition 
of  the  music  itself,  good  character  needs  to  be 
insisted  upon.  The  supremest  voice  is  a  sac¬ 
rilege  in  the  sanctuary  if  it  be  not  sincerely 
and  reverently  used,  and  the  rotten  life,  not¬ 
withstanding  any  temporary  flashes  of  good¬ 
ness,  effectually  neutralizes  even  the  most 
brilliant  gifts.  No  definite  and  invariable  line, 
however,  can  be  drawn.  Common  sense  and  a 
godly  spirit  must  decide.  But  certainly  we 
should  not  consent  to  a  debauched  choir  while 
the  pulpit  is  required  to  be  pure. 

Let  it  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  music 
is  one  of  the  gates  to  the  Kingdom,  and  we 
should  not  ruthlessly  close  that  entrance  to 
those  who  are  weak  and  immature.  But  when 
they  enter,  we  may  properly  expect  that  they 
will  keep  their  faces  turned  in  the  right  di¬ 
rection,  or,  if  they  veer,  that  they  shall  turn 
back  again  to  the  right,  not  rebelling  against 
the  just  consequences  of  their  error.  It  is 

41 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


right  that  the  leaders  should  be  men  and 
women  of  God,  and  that  even  those  who  serve 
in  a  subordinate  way  shall  not  bring  reproach 
upon  their  calling. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident  that 
the  Music  Committee  has  a  man’s-sized  job. 
What  shall  be  their  reward  for  their  difficult 
and  critical  work?  Let  us  hope  that  the 
church  will  duly  appreciate  what  they  do. 
But  any  full  appreciation  is  impossible,  nor 
by  those  who  are  competent  will  it  be  expected. 
For  much  that  is  best  in  their  activities  will 
not  be  open  for  general  observation.  The  most 
effectual  Music  Committee  will  do  its  work 
with  prayer,  never,  however,  trying  to  substi¬ 
tute  prayer  for  work.  Such  a  committee  will 
find  its  great  and  adequate  reward:  first,  in 
doing  the  work  itself,  for  all  noble,  important, 
difficult  work  is  fascinating;  then,  if  their  pur¬ 
pose  be  what  it  ought  to  be,  in  the  uplift  of  that 
purpose,  and  of  their  consecration  to  it;  then 
in  the  high  fellowship  which  is  always  theirs 
who  serve  at  God’s  great  tasks ;  and,  lastly,  let 
us  hope,  in  such  music  as  will  be  a  tower  of 
strength  and  a  hill  of  beauty  in  the  holy  places 
of  Zion. 


42 


CHAPTER  III 


BUILDING,  MAINTAINING,  AND  USING 

A  CHOIR 

WILLARD  E.  BECK 

I  have  been  asked  to  write  on  a  subject 
which  is  very  close  to  my  heart — the  building, 
maintaining,  and  using  a  choir — and  I  shall 
be  glad  if  anything  I  may  say  will  be  of  help 
to  anyone. 

The  word  “music”!  What  a  volume  of 
meaning  it  conveys !  God  has  made  the  world 
vocal  with  sweet  sounds. 

In  thinking  of  music  we  naturally  think  of 
it  in  connection  with  pleasure  and  happiness, 
but  the  voice  of  song  does  not  always  express 
gladness,  but,  rather,  speaks  the  language  of 
the  heart.  Ofttimes  when  our  hearts  are  sad 
we  find  solace  in  song.  When  we  are  dis¬ 
heartened  and  discouraged  we  find  help  and 
inspiration  in  music. 

Vocal  music  is  the  heritage  of  all  classes. 
Not  everyone,  of  course,  is  blessed  with  great 
musical  ability  or  gifted  with  a  beautiful  voice, 
but  every  human  being  possesses  the  faculty 

43 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


of  music  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  and  one 
should  try  to  cultivate  this  gift  and  not  allow 
it  to  lie  dormant. 

Here  we  see  a  group  of  children  at  play,  and 
ere  long  we  hear  their  happy  voices  burst  forth 
in  song.  What  could  thrill  our  hearts  more 
than  the  sounds  of  these  childish  voices?  Chil¬ 
dren  love  to  sing  and  they  love  the  games  in 
which  songs  have  a  part.  Then  over  there  is  a 
group  of  young  people  gathered  around  a 
piano  and  the  air  rings  with  the  sound  of  their 
merry  voices  as  they  join  in  singing  some  of 
the  popular  songs.  They  too  love  to  sing. 
There  are  still  others,  those  of  more  mature 
years,  who  have  not  lost  their  ear  for  music, 
and  who  enjoy  singing  quite  as  much  as  the 
younger  people. 

Out  of  these  three  groups,  which  are  found 
in  every  church,  one  should  be  able  to  find 
plenty  of  material  for  the  building  of  a  choir 
or  choirs. 

As  a  first  step  in  organizing  a  choir  I  would 
suggest  that  the  leader,  in  order  to  acquaint 
himself  with  his  people,  should  have  a  great 
deal  of  congregational  singing,  using  the  fa¬ 
miliar  songs  that  all  will  enjoy  and  in  which 
they  will  all  join  heartily.  Let  the  tempo  be 
announced  in  a  clear,  emphatic  manner  by  the 
instrument,  and  let  the  people  take  it  up  boldly 

44 


BUILDING  A  CHOIR 


and  quickly.  “Push  things.”  There  is  more 
danger  of  dying  of  dullness  than  of  galloping 
into  an  unseemly  chase. 

In  a  plain  choral  the  time  may  be  quite 
rapid.  The  average  member  of  the  congrega¬ 
tion  cannot  hold  a  long  breath,  and  unless  they 
sing  fast  cannot  sing  at  all.  Rather  than  drag 
the  song  out  in  the  dreary,  funeral-procession 
pace  commonly  heard,  we  would  better  be  a 
little  too  gay.  It  is  the  slow,  heavy  style  of 
singing  that  has  brought  church  music  into  a 
certain  disrepute  which  it  does  not  deserve. 

The  leader,  by  watching  and  listening  for 
voices  in  the  congregation,  will  soon  be  able  to 
select  some  who  he  thinks  will  make  good  ma¬ 
terial  for  a  choir.  By  dividing  the  audience 
into  sections  and  having  each  section  sing 
separately,  these  choices  may  more  readily  be 
made.  I  would  suggest  that  the  leader  be  very 
careful  in  making  selections  not  to  get  anyone 
whose  voice  would  be  apt  to  stand  out  in  con¬ 
trast  to  the  others,  or,  in  other  words,  would 
not  blend  well  with  other  voices,  or  who  would 
probably  not  cooperate  well  in  the  work  of 
the  choir. 

With  these  as  a  nucleus,  I  would  add  to  my 
choir,  from  time  to  time  those  who  were  rec¬ 
ommended  to  me  by  good  authority  or  those 
whose  voices  I  had  tried  out, 

45 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


The  most  necessary  requirements  for  a  suc¬ 
cessful  choir,  even  above  good  voices,  are  loy¬ 
alty,  and  faithfulness  in  attendance  both  at 
services  and  at  rehearsals.  This  fact  cannot 
be  impressed  too  frequently  upon  the  members 
of  the  choir. 

Plan  for  your  rehearsals.  Have  your  sur¬ 
roundings  right.  In  winter  time  have  your 
room  warm  and  well  lighted.  Make  it  cheer¬ 
ful  so  that  your  people  wTill  be  happy.  You 
cannot  do  your  best  if  your  singers  are  un¬ 
comfortable  and  unhappy. 

The  selection  of  anthems  is  about  the  great¬ 
est  and  hardest  task  of  a  choir  leader — getting 
something  his  people  will  like  and  that  they 
can  sing,  numbers  that  are  tuneful  and  can  be 
used  several  times.  Any  number  of  anthems 
are  not  worth  repeating,  or  even  worth  learn¬ 
ing.  The  first  anthem  my  choir  sang  nineteen 
years  ago  last  October  was  “Come  to  My  Heart 
and  Abide,”  by  Macy,  published  by  Ditson.  We 
still  sing  it  occasionally.  “Make  a  Joyful 
Noise,”  by  Simper,  published  by  Ditson,  the 
second  number  we  sang,  we  are  still  using. 
Such  pieces  never  wear  out.  So  with  our 
hymns.  They  are  the  same  ones  you  and  I 
sang  in  our  childhood  days. 

Other  easy  anthems  any  choir  can  sing  are : 
“Even  Me,”  by  John  C.  Warren,  published  by 

46 


BUILDING  A  CHOIR 


Ditson  (has  a  bass  solo) ;  “I  Will  Extol  Thee,” 
by  Forsythe,  published  by  Ditson ;  “Heart,  Be 
Still,”  by  Warren,  published  by  Ditson; 
“Breast  the  Waves,  Christian,”  by  H.  R.  Shel¬ 
ley,  published  by  Schirmer  (bass  solo,  soprano 
and  alto  duet ) ,  very  pretty  and  worshipful  and 
not  difficult,  suitable  for  any  choir  with  aver¬ 
age  solo  voices.  One  afternoon  last  summer 
while  studying  churches  in  Denver,  I  went  into 
one  of  the  larger  churches  to  meet  the  staff  and 
see  their  church.  The  quartet  choir  was  prac¬ 
ticing  and  this  was  the  piece  they  were  sing¬ 
ing. 

I  am  a  member  of  a  chain  of  choir  directors 
who  exchange  bulletins  and  musical  sugges¬ 
tions  from  our  respective  churches.  These 
same  anthems  I  mention  are  used  by  these 
various  churches,  which  include  the  Central 
Street  Church,  Detroit  ;  First  Church,  Evans¬ 
ton;  First  Baptist  Church,  Dayton,  and  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  Cincinnati.  One 
Sunday  the  First  Baptist  Church  choir  of 
Syracuse,  New  York,  sang  “More  Love  to  Thee, 
O  Christ,”  by  Speaks,  published  by  Ditson 
(chorus  with  soprano  solo),  and  “Some 
Blessed  Day/’  by  Nevins,  both  of  which  I  use 
and  which  any  choir  can  sing.  This  church 
has  a  membership  of  over  two  thousand. 

A  choir  should  have  more  soprano  than  any 

47 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


other  part,  next  bass,  then  alto,  then  tenor. 
Have  your  rehearsals;  regularly.  Always  have 
something  definitely  planned  for  several  weeks 
ahead.  For  example,  at  my  last  rehearsal  for 
Christmas  music  I  told  my  choir  that  we 
would  have  an  antiphonal  song  service  the  last 
part  of  January,  giving  them  the  date,  and 
that  we  would  commence  practicing  for  it  at 
the  next  rehearsal.  Of  course  this  is  in  ad¬ 
dition  to  our  regular  Sunday  singing  at  both 
services.  I  had  no  trouble  to  get  one  hundred 
singers  for  my  two  choirs — one  in  the  balcony 
and  the  other  in  the  choir  loft — for  my  an¬ 
tiphonal  song  service.  When  that  was  over  I 
had  a  new  collection  of  Hymn  Anthems,  pub¬ 
lished  by  Schmidt  Company,  ready  to  com¬ 
mence  practicing  on,  for  a  chorus  of  one  hun¬ 
dred  voices.  My  regular  choir  has  an  enroll¬ 
ment  of  fifty-four.  The  choir  loft  will  seat, 
with  all  possible  space  taken,  only  fifty  per¬ 
sons,  so  we  shall  have  to  overflow  into  the  pul¬ 
pit  and  space  around  the  altar.  My  object  is 
to  keep  something  doing.  At  Broadway  we 
believe  in  using  our  whole  church  seven  days 
in  the  week.  From  a  membership  of  seventeen 
hundred  persons  we  can  easily  find  one  hun¬ 
dred  persons  who  can  sing  and  would  like  to 
sing. 

But  my  adult  mixed  choir  does  not  do  all  of 

48 


BUILDING  A  CHOIR 


our  singing.  I  have  a  choir  of  men,  fifty  of 
them,  who  furnished  our  music  on  several  Sun¬ 
days  and  gave  us  three  song  services  during 
the  winter.  Men,  and  youths  of  high-school 
age,  like  to  sing.  I  used  for  this  chorus  a  book 
of  anthems  for  men’s  voices,  by  Adams,  pub¬ 
lished  by  Lorenz.  People  like  to  hear  men  sing 
and  our  church  was  filled  almost  to  capacity 
each  time  they  sang. 

In  addition  to  these  two  choirs  I  have  an¬ 
other — one  wherein,  I  believe,  lie  our  greatest 
hopes  and  possibilities — a  junior  choir,  boys 
and  girls  between  the  ages  of  eleven  and  six¬ 
teen  years,  singing  two-part  music.  Some  of 
the  boys  sing  alto  and  some  soprano.  Girls  the 
same.  The  best  alto  I  have  is  a  boy  and  some 
of  the  best  sopranos  are  boys. 

As  I  said  at  the  beginning  of  my  remarks, 
children  love  to  sing.  I  have  an  enrollment  of 
fifty  picked  voices  and  have  that  many  more 
on  the  waiting  list  who  would  like  to  join.  But 
fifty  is  all  that  I  can  seat.  They  have  prac¬ 
ticed  each  week  since  the  first  of  October,  on 
Thursday  afternoons,  three-thirty  to  five 
o’clock,  and  the  number  present  at  rehearsals 
has  never  been  below  forty.  Often  every  child 
is  present. 

This  is  an  organization  that  I  should  like  to 
recommend  to  every  minister — a  junior  choir. 

49 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Every  church  has  its  children,  and  all  children 
can  sing,  some  better  than  others,  of  course. 
They  can  get  to  rehearsal  more  easily,  learn 
more  readily,  and  have  sweeter  voices  than 
adults.  Everybody  likes  to  hear  children  sing 
— parents,  grandparents,  uncles,  aunts,  and 
neighbors.  Children  have  active  minds  and 
are  very  susceptible  to  training.  My  efforts 
with  them  along  the  line  of  shading  and  ex¬ 
pression  met  with  most  gratifying  results. 
Having  them  sing  publicly  once  in  three  or 
four  weeks  seems  often  enough. 

At  Christmas  and  Easter  I  use  both  Junior 
and  Adult  choirs,  having  a  processional,  with 
the  boys  of  the  Junior  choir  leading,  marching 
through  the  auditorium  to  their  places  in  the 
choir  loft. 

I  hope  that  every  choir  leader  will  be  en¬ 
couraged  to  organize  a  junior  choir  at  once. 
The  reward  will  justify  your  efforts  manyfold. 
You  not  only  increase  the  attendance  at  wor¬ 
ship,  but  you  will  be  molding  the  children’s 
lives  and  forming  in  them  the  habit  of  going 
to  church.  And  going  to  church  is  more  or  less 
a  habit.  Also,  you  will  be  preparing  material 
for  your  future  choir. 

Organize  your  choirs,  have  a  president,  sec¬ 
retary  and  treasurer.  In  our  adult  choir  we 
have  dues  of  five  cents  a  week.  This  amount 

50 


BUILDING  A  CHOIR 


takes  care  of  flowers  sent  in  case  of  sickness  or 
death.  All  this  helps  to  promote  the  social 
side,  and  that  is  very  essential.  We  try  to 
have  a  social  three  or  four  times  a  year.  Every 
fall  one  of  our  members  invites  us  to  his  home 
for  light  refreshments  and  a  social  evening. 
At  such  times  we  often  sing  and  practice  secu¬ 
lar  music,  making  a  little  deviation  from  our 
regular  singing,  and  we  find  the  choir  likes  it 
very  much.  Last  spring  we  drove  out  in  the 
country  for  a  picnic.  There  were  machines 
enough  among  the  members  of  the  choir  easily 
to  take  care  of  the  transportation.  This  spring 
I  expect  to  take  both  choirs  out  for  a  picnic. 

A  successful  leader  must  pay  a  great  deal  of 
attention  to  the  personal  side — the  personal 
touch — be  interested  in  his  people.  Talk  choir 
together.  Ask  them  if  they  will  be  at  rehear¬ 
sal.  If  they  have  missed  being  present  call 
them  up  and  learn  the  reason  why.  Maybe 
you  can  help  in  some  of  their  problems. 

What  an  auxiliary  music  is  to  the  preacher, 
lightening  up  dull  faces,  inspiring  cheerful¬ 
ness  !  It  places  the  congregation  in  a  receptive 
mood  for  the  reading  and  hearing  of  God’s 
word.  Thus  the  influence  of  music  is  a  bless¬ 
ing,  and  those  who  have  part  in  furnishing  it 
may  be  grateful  that  they  too  are  permitted  to 
aid  in  making  the  world  happier  and  better. 

51 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  ORGAN  IN  THE  CHURCH  SERVICE 

VAN  DENMAN  THOMPSON 

This  chapter  will  treat  in  the  first  division 
of  the  place  of  the  organ  in  the  church  service, 
and  in  the  second  division  of  the  installation 
and  care  of  the  organ.  The  subject  will  be  con¬ 
sidered  from  the  standpoint  of  the  organ  as  a 
solo  instrument  rather  than  in  an  accompani- 
mental  capacity,  as  this  latter  function  is  too 
obvious  and  too  widely  accepted  to  make  it 
necessary  to  discuss  it  at  any  length. 

If  the  honest  opinion  of  many  different  in¬ 
dividuals  could  be  obtained  as  to  the  place  of 
the  organ  in  the  church  service,  these  opinions 
would  probably  vary  from  “a  necessary  evil” 
(this  from  the  opinionated  and  egotistical 
clergyman),  to  “the  only  decent  part  of  the 
service”  (this  from  the  equally  opinionated 
and  egotistical  organist).  Neither  gentleman 
is  wholly  right,  and  the  truth  lies  somewhere 
between  these  two  extremes.  The  organ  is 
more  than  a  means  of  furnishing  a  necessary 
support  to  congregational  or  choir  singing:  it 

52 


THE  ORGAN  IN  THE  CHURCH  SERVICE 


has  a  function  in  its  own  right.  But  the  fact 
remains  that  a  church  service  is  not  an  organ 
recital,  nor  should  it  be. 

Let  us  go  briefly  through  the  service  (the 
ritualistic  services  are  not  considered  here) 
and  discuss  the  use  of  the  organ  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  organist  and  the  minister — 
the  two  who  jointly  have  the  details  of  the 
service  in  charge. 

1.  The  Prelude  should  be  chosen  for  its 
power  of  creating  a  worshipful  mood  on  the 
part  of  the  congregation.  Suitable  music,  well 
played,  well  registered,  can  and  does  create  in 
the  listener  first  a  feeling  of  quiet,  of  relaxa¬ 
tion,  a  letting-down  of  tension.  But  its  effect 
is  not  only  that — it  brings  the  minds  of  the  en¬ 
tire  congregation  into  this  same  state,  and 
while  the  actual  number  of  psychic  power 
units  generated  by  many  people  thinking  and 
feeling  in  the  same  wmy  may  not  be  measurable 
as  yet  by  scientists,  no  one  doubts  that  this 
power  exists  and  is  a  very  real  thing.  The  Pre¬ 
lude,  then,  should  create  first  a  mood  and  then 
a  power.  That  music  can  do  this  is  its  greatest 
glory. 

2.  The  Offertory.  The  business  of  taking  an 
offering  is  too  often  regarded  as  a  necessary 
evil.  The  reasoning  seems  to  be  something  like 
this :  the  church  needs  funds ;  many  people  will 

53 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


not  pay  unless  a  special  place  in  the  service  is 
made  for  it  (when  they  would  be  conspicuous 
if  they  didn’t)  ;  hence  the  offering.  Putting 
money  into  even  velvet-lined  plates  makes  a 
noise ;  the  noise  is  unpleasantly  audible  in  the 
otherwise  quiet  church,  hence  the  music.  But 
is  this  the  right  attitude?  Most  obviously  not. 
The  offering  should  be  the  high  spot  of  the 
service,  a  dedication  of  the  fruit  of  one’s  toil 
to  the  highest  use  to  which  it  can  be  put — 
service  for  others.  The  modem  worshiper  has 
lost  something  of  the  spiritual  exaltation 
which  must  have  come  to  the  Israelite  of  old, 
who  brought  his  offering  to  the  altar  and  felt 
that  God  had  seen  and  understood.  Cannot 
the  modern  worshiper  feel  this  same  spirit? 
Music  of  the  right  type  can  help  immensely 
here.  Organists,  if  you  have  a  mystic,  ethereal 
echo  organ,  prepare  to  use  it  now.  If  you 
haven’t,  use  the  best  you’ve  got,  and  play  good 
music.  Don’t  improvise,  unless  you  feel  that 
your  improvising  is  acceptable  in  heaven  and 
in  the  pews  as  well. 

3.  The  Postlude  is  undoubtedly  the  most 
neglected  part  of  the  service.  The  writer  re¬ 
gards  it  as  unfortunate  that  the  church  service 
should  take  on  the  aspect  of  an  informal  re¬ 
ception  immediately  the  benediction  is  pro¬ 
nounced.  And  strangely,  it  is  often  the  min- 

54 


THE  ORGAN  IN  THE  CHURCH  SERVICE 


ister  who  is  at  fault  here.  He  who  has  been  so 
intent  on  lifting  us  out  of  our  daily  lives  into 
a  new  and  clearer  vision  of  things,  now  seems 
just  as  intent  upon  plunging  us  back  again. 
“Good  morning !  How  is  your  aunt’s 
pleurisy?”  And  we  had  come  to  church  hop¬ 
ing  we  could  forget,  for  an  hour,  our  aunt’s 
pleurisy!  The  organist  too  has  caught  the 
“Goody ! — it’s  all-over-now”  spirit,  and  rattles 
along  on  a  “Festal  March”  or  a  “Toccata,” 
serene  in  the  consciousness  that  no  one  is  lis¬ 
tening  to  him,  but  that  he  is  adding  his  bit  to 
the  general  row. 

Why  can’t  we  go  out  quietly,  with  the  im¬ 
press  of  the  service  still  upon  us?  Why  can’t 
the  organist  realize  that  he  is  privileged  to 
have  the  last  word  with  the  departing  wor¬ 
shiper,  and  value  rightly  this  opportunity  for 
a  real  ministry?  Why  can’t  we  think  of  the 
postlude  as  an  extension  of  the  service- 
thought,  or  as  a  last  reminder  to  the  congre¬ 
gation  of  things  which  are  fine  and  holy,  wise 
and  good? 

4.  Something  should  be  said  as  to  the  grow¬ 
ing  custom  of  preceding  an  evening  or  after¬ 
noon  service  with  a  quarter  to  half  an  hour  of 
organ  music.  This  is  only  an  enlargement  of 
the  customary  prelude,  but  because  of  its 
length  a  little  more  variety  in  the  selection  of 

55 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


numbers  is  possible  and  very  advisable.  Be¬ 
ginning  with  a  serious  work,  such  as  a  sonata, 
the  organist  may  proceed  to  a  lighter  work  to 
focus  the  attention  ( which  may  have  wandered 
somewhat  during  the  playing  of  the  more  se¬ 
rious  composition)  and  end  with  one  or  two 
shorter  compositions  in  a  quiet,  meditative 
vein.  This,  of  course,  is  only  a  suggestion,  but 
the  writer  has  tested  it  many  times  and  has 
found  it  to  be  effective.  The  overly  ornamented 
style  (such  as  Batiste’s  Communion  in  G,  for 
example)  should  be  avoided,  as  it  smacks  too 
much  of  the  tawdry  and  trivial.  We  cannot  too 
often  remind  ourselves  that  music  is  not  only 
an  ornament  to  worship,  but  it  is — or  can  be — 
worship  itself.  The  decorative  values  of  music 
certainly  must  not  be  ignored,  but  they  are  not 
the  real  and  abiding  values. 

From  the  foregoing  it  may  easily  be  seen 
that  the  writer  believes  that  the  organist 
should  be  a  Christian  and  a  church-member. 
It  is  not  putting  it  too  strongly  to  say  that  his 
business  is  the  saving  of  souls  and  the  keeping 
them  saved,  just  as  truly  as  it  is  the  minister’s 
business.  He  should  be  a  capable  musician 
and  know  his  instrument  well.  An  organist 
who  has  not  a  good  technique  is  like  a  minister 
who  lisps — he  may  have  the  best  intentions  in 
the  world,  but  he  is  sadly  handicapped.  If  the 

56 


THE  ORGAN  IN  THE  CHURCH  SERVICE 


church  can  afford  to  hire  a  competent  man, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  better  results  are  ob¬ 
tained  by  giving  him  charge  of  the  training  of 
the  choir ;  it  is  his  profession  and  he  is  trained 
to  do  it.  If,  however,  the  church  is  forced  to 
depend  upon  amateurs  for  organist  and  choir¬ 
master,  there  are  reasons  for  dividing  the  re¬ 
sponsibility.  The  writer  would  like  here  to 
add,  as  in  parentheses,  that  he  hopes  that  never 
again  may  he  be  forced  to  look  upon  the  sad 
spectacle  of  a  “choir-leader”  standing  in  front 
of  his  little  band,  with  his  back  to  the  congre¬ 
gation,  waving  in  desultory  fashion  either  a 
slender  stick  or  an  admonishing  finger,  while 
the  choir,  doubtless  convinced,  through  long 
experience,  of  the  uselessness  of  trying  to  fol¬ 
low  these  gyrations,  sings  blissfully  along,  eyes 
glued  to  the  book,  utterly  unconscious  of  the 
perspiring  and  self-conscious  “leader.” 

II 

Because  of  the  importance  of  the  organ  it  is 
essential  that  a  new  organ  be  carefully  chosen. 
If  a  minister  proves  unsatisfactory,  there  is 
always  a  chance  of  getting  rid  of  him  after  an 
interval,  but  an  organ,  once  in,  usually  stays  in 
for  twenty  or  even  more  years.  Indeed,  it 
seems  to  the  writer,  after  hearing  some  of  the 
ancient  relics  which  are  still  in  use,  that  some 

57 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


churches  must  have  the  idea  that  organs  are 
chosen  “not  for  time,  but  for  eternity.” 

The  success:  of  an  organ  depends  to  a  con¬ 
siderable  extent  upon  the  architect  of  the 
church  building.  Sufficient  space  is  a  first  re¬ 
quirement,  as  crowding  injures  the  tone  to  a 
marked  degree.  If  the  organ  is  small,  it  may 
be  built  entirely  in  the  room,  an  ideal  position 
from  the  acoustical  standpoint.  If  the  organ 
is  placed  in  chambers  especially  built  for  it, 
it  is  necessary  that  these  chambers  be  high, 
wide,  and  shallow.  In  other  words,  the  ideal 
position  ( that  of  the  organ  built  entirely  in  the 
room)  should  be  approximated  as  closely  as 
possible. 

Most  organs  are  now  built  with  detached 
consoles,  and  there  is  considerable  advantage 
to  the  organist  in  thus  being  enabled  to  judge 
the  effects  he  is  producing,  as  well  as  to  direct 
his  choir  more  easily.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtful 
if  this  latter  is  possible  except  with  detached 
console,  so  placed  that  the  entire  choir  can 
be  seen  from  the  organ  bench. 

Many  times  a  committee  finds  itself  bur¬ 
dened  with  the  responsibility  of  selecting  an 
organ  and  feels  that  it  knows  little  of  how  to 
proceed.  A  safe  plan  is  to  write  to  six  or  eight 
builders  (addresses  may  be  secured  from  one 
of  the  several  organ  magazines),  stating  the 

58 


THE  ORGAN  IN  THE  CHURCH  SERVICE 


amount  to  be  spent,  size  of  the  auditorium  and 
organ  chamber,  etc.,  and  ask  for  specifications. 
When  these  arrive,  an  experienced  organist 
can  be  of  help  to  the  committee  in  explaining 
and  comparing  specifications,  making  clear  the 
meaning  of  such  technical  terms  as  “note”  ( as 
distinguished  from  “pipe”),  “unit,”  “duplex 
chest,”  “borrowing,”  etc.  A  great  majority 
of  builders  endeavor  to  explain  as  clearly  and 
as  concisely  as  possible  every  detail  of  the 
specification,  but  an  understanding  of  these 
few  terms  is  taken  for  granted.  The  writer 
feels  that  the  so-called  “organ-architect”  is  sel¬ 
dom  if  ever  a  necessity,  but  feels  that  a  com¬ 
mittee  is  unwise  who  buys  so  expensive  a  piece 
of  mechanism  as  an  organ  without  some  pro¬ 
fessional  advice.  Most  organists  are  willing 
to  give  this  advice  without  charge  to  any 
church  which  asks  it,  even  if  in  no  way  con¬ 
nected  with  the  church. 

In  a  non-teehnical  book  such  as  this,  it 
would  be  out  of  place  to  discuss  the  question 
of  unit  organs  or  of  borrowed  stops.  Used  un¬ 
wisely,  both  these  methods  of  organ  construc¬ 
tion  are  thoroughly  bad;  used  judiciously, 
there  is  a  possibility  that  they  may  effect  a  de¬ 
sirable  saving  of  funds,  though  the  saving 
would  be  slight. 

It  is  also  unwise  to  attempt  here  to  give  a 

59 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


standard  specification  as  a  guide  for  churches. 
It  may,  however,  be  of  some  value  to  say  that 
a  small  two-manual  organ  should  have  at  least 
six  stops  on  the  swell  and  four  or  five  on  the 
great  to  be  adequate  for  ordinary  church  use. 
There  should  be  on  the  pedal  a  soft  sixteen- 
foot  stop  and  a  stronger  one  of  the  same  pitch, 
as  well  as  an  eight-foot,  which  can  be  derived 
from  the  stronger  sixteen-foot  set.  The  softer 
stops  of  the  great,  which  are  mostly  used  for 
accompanying,  should  be  inclosed  in  the  swell- 
box. 

Afc  to  the  care  of  the  instrument  once  it  is 
installed,  little  need  be  said.  In  most  instru¬ 
ments  will  be  found  a  printed  list  of  directions 
(often  placed  near  the  entrance  to  the  organ) 
wThich  should  be  read  occasionally  and  fol¬ 
lowed  more  generally  than  they  usually  are. 
With  the  motor  is  sent  a  card  of  instructions 
having  to  do  with  oiling,  etc.  The  organ  should 
be  tuned,  not  so  much  for  its  own  sake  as  for 
the  sake  of  those  who  listen  to  it,  three  or  four 
times  a  year,  or  oftener,  if  necessary. 

And,  in  conclusion,  let  it  be  said  that  the 
best  way  to  take  care  of  an  organ  is  to  use  it 
continuously.  Like  religion,  it  should  be  used 
every  day  of  the  week  and  not  merely  on  Sun¬ 
day.  A  church  should  take  pride  in  allowing 
its  organ  to  be  a  feature  of  many  community 

60 

\ 


THE  ORGAN  IN  THE  CHURCH  SERVICE 


concerts  and  gatherings,  and  if  the  organ  is 
freely  open  to  the  young  people  of  the  congre¬ 
gation  for  practice,  the  church  and  the  organ 
will  each  be  the  better  for  it.  No  good  organ¬ 
ist  will  object  to  his  instrument  being  used  for 
practice,  but  the  incompetent,  selfish  tyro,  who 
knows  how  poor  his  playing  is  and  how  easily 
some  gifted  young  person  could  surpass  him  if 
given  a  few  months’  practice,  will  object,  and 
object  most  strenuously,  to  a  “desecration”  of 
his  “sacred  instrument.”  The  organ,  like  any¬ 
thing  else,  is  sacred  only  if  it  is  a  factor  in 
human  welfare  and  betterment ;  and  legitimate 
use  is  never  desecration. 


61 


CHAPTER  V 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

EDITH  LOVELL  THOMAS 

Purpose 

“Sooner  or  later  we  shall  not  only  recog¬ 
nize  the  culture  value  of  music,  but  we  shall 
also  begin  to  understand  that  after  the  begin¬ 
nings  of  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  and 
geometry,  music  has  greater  practical  value 
than  any  other  subject  taught  in  the  schools.”1 

This  estimate  of  the  value  of  music,  so  true 
from  the  standpoint  of  public-school  experi¬ 
ence,  is  equally  true  in  Sunday-school  practice 
whenever  the  adequate  resources  of  music  are 
put  to  the  test. 

The  culture  of  the  spiritual  life  of  children, 
youths,  and  adults  in  departmental  and  entire 
school  worship,  and  the  manifestation  of  that 
culture  in  certain  definite  attitudes  of  mind 
and  types  of  conduct  are  matters  of  prime  im¬ 
portance  in  present-day  religious  education. 

Certain  fundamental  reasons  for  employing 

1 P.  P.  Claxton:  United  States  Bureau  of  Education  Bulletin,  1914, 
No.  33. 


62 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


music  in  the  service  of  worship  should  first  be 
considered : 

1.  Singing  is  a  natural  and  universal  expres¬ 
sion  of  emotion. 

2.  “Music  is  the  handmaid  of  religion’7  be¬ 
cause  it  more  clearly  reveals  the  truth  con¬ 
tained  in  the  words  to  which  it  is  set  than  the 
words  themselves  when  they  are  merely 
spoken. 

3.  Since  the  days  of  the  Minnesingers  and 
Mastersingers,  when  the  common  people  were 
taught  the  stories  of  the  Bible  through  the 
medium  of  song,  singing  has  been  one  of  the 
most  effective  teaching  agencies  throughout 
all  Christian  history.  In  India  to-day  this 
method  of  telling  the  gospel  is  proving  most 
popular  and  far  reaching  in  its  results. 

4.  “Art  gives  beauty  and  attractiveness  to 
religion  and  religion  gives  content  and  genu¬ 
ineness  to  art.”2 

5.  The  realm  of  the  mystical,  in  which  pure 
and  undefiled  religion  operates,  is  easily  en¬ 
tered  by  means  of  music  since 

“Music  is  a  house  not  built  with  hands. 

Built  by  love’s  Father,  where  a  little  space 

The  soul  may  dwell;  a  royal  palace  fit 

To  meet  the  majesty  of  its  demands; 

The  place  where  man’s  two  lives  unite;  the  place 

To  hold  communion  with  the  Infinite.”3 

2  Edmund  S.  Lorenz,  Practical  Church  Music. 

8  Robert  Haven  Sehauffler. 


63 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Contribution  Made  by  Each  Musical 

Number 

The  name  that  is  given  to  each  number  sug¬ 
gests  the  distinctive  part  it  is  chosen  to  con¬ 
tribute  to  the  whole. 

I.  The  prelude — the  opening  number  of 
quiet  or  other  type  of  instrumental  music — is 
designed  to  introduce  the  theme  of  the  service, 
or  induce  the  right  attitude  of  mind,  attracting 
the  attention  and  directing  it  toward  what  is 
to  follow,  thus  preparing  the  way  for  the  im¬ 
portant  business  of  the  hour.  The  prelude 
then  produces  a  definite  or  more  general  re¬ 
action  on  the  part  of  the  listeners  by  setting  a 
theme  for  meditation,  soothing  the  spirit, 
awakening  a  desire  to  worship,  prompting  a 
sense  of  joy  or  gratitude,  or  stirring  deeper 
emotions. 

Congenial  atmosphere,  prompt  beginning, 
order  and  decorum,  intelligent  selection  of  mu¬ 
sic  and  skillful  and  sympathetic  interpretation 
are  all  essential  if  a  satisfactory  result  is  to 
be  secured. 

That  the  prelude  is  the  first  act  in  the  service 
of  worship  rather  than  a  “filler-in,”  a  conve¬ 
nience  which  serves  to  cover  up  the  entrance  of 
late-comers,  or  a  musical  background  for  so¬ 
cial  intercourse,  is  a  fact  that  must  be  estab- 

64 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


lished  before  the  prelude  can  play  its  destined 
part  in  the  whole  design  of  the  service.  A  brief 
composition  which  has  a  fine,  strong  progres¬ 
sion  of  harmonies  as  its  predominant  charac¬ 
teristic  is  best  calculated  to  gain  the  desired 
effect.  For  example: 

“Prelude  Solenne,”  Ernest  R.  Kroeger,  for 
pipe  organ. 

“Sanctus,”  W.  A.  Cruickshank.4 

National  Hymn,  George  W.  Warren.5 

II.  The  singing  of  hymns — expressions  of 
prayer  and  praise  to  God — being  a  social  exer¬ 
cise,  helps  to  make  a  unit  out  of  separate  in¬ 
dividuals  in  the  assembly.  This  is  made  possi¬ 
ble  by  the  singing  together  of  common  aspira¬ 
tions,  which  in  turn  arouse  new  longings  aided 
by  the  power  of  suggestion  and  association. 
The  words  must  be  real  lyric  poetry,  full  of 
universal  truth,  which  is  commensurate  with 
the  depths  of  human  needs,  the  breadth  of  all 
races  and  conditions  of  men,  and  the  infinite 
grace  of  God.  The  tunes  must  be  suited  to  the 
taste  and  capacity  of  the  singers,  worthy  of 
the  words,  and  of  such  a  high  order  that  the 
hymns  can  be  rendered  as  a  sincere  and  beauti¬ 
ful  offering  of  all  the  people  to  their  God. 

Since  great  hymns  are  the  epitome  of  the 

4  Hymnal  for  American  Youth,  Edited  by  H.  Augustine  Smith.  The 
Century  Company.  Orders  of  Worship,  pp.  14-15. 

Ubid.,  No.  245. 


65 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


finest  thoughts  and  experiences  of  Christian 
men  and  women  recorded  through  the  years, 
they  are  bound  to  stamp  their  impress  upon 
the  susceptible  young  lives  of  those  who  repeat 
them.  The  tunes  which  fittingly  accompany 
these  hymns  sensitize  those  who  sing  them  so 
that  the  impression  is  more  deeply  made.  The 
appeal  is  more  keenly  responded  to  when  fa¬ 
miliarity  with  the  personalities  who  created 
the  lyrics  is  gained  and  all  are  taught  to  sing 
with  the  understanding. 

Truth,  in  the  garb  of  a  hymn,  has  easier  ac¬ 
cess  to  a  life  when  sung,  for  music  has  a  magic 
way  of  opening  gates  which  remain  barred  to 
less  attractive  guests.  For  example: 

“The  Earth  is  Hushed  in  Silence.”  Tune, 
Lord’s  Hay.  Felix  Mendelssohn.6 

“Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,” 
Reginald  Heber.  Tune,  Nicaea.  John  B. 
Dykes.7 

Ill — The  Offertory  is  planned  to  give  more 
significance  to  the  bringing  of  one’s  money  to 
God.  The  act  should  never  degenerate  into  a 
mere  collection  of  coin.  In  very  truth  this  is 
a  sacred  and  crucial  test  of  the  sincerity  of  re¬ 
ligion,  for  it  shows  how  highly  the  privilege 
of  worship  is  valued,  and  what  one  is  willing 
to  give  in  return  for  what  he  has  received.  The 

6  Hymnal  for  American  Youth,  Edited  by  H.  Augustine  Smith.  The 

Century  Company.  No.  13.  7  Ibid.,  No.  12. 


66 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


music  used,  whether  vocal  or  instrumental, 
should  be  reminiscent  in  character,  breathing 
the  spirit  of  “Remember  the  words  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  how  he  said,  ‘It  is  more  blessed  to  give 
than  to  receive.7  77  The  thought  should  be  di¬ 
rected  by  this  music  to  the  Giver  of  all  gifts, 
gratitude  evoked  and  the  joy  of  response  felt. 
Not  the  sound  of  dropping  pennies,  but  the 
making  of  a  gift  of  love  to  the  heavenly  Father 
should  be  the  emphasis  laid. 

As  harmony  was  the  predominant  element 
in  the  prelude,  so  melody  will  be  the  character¬ 
istic  feature  of  the  offertory.  For  example : 

“There  Is  a  Green  Hill  Far  Away,77  Charles 
Gounod. 

“Saviour,  Thy  Dying  Love.77  Words,  S.  Dry- 
den  Phelps;  tune,  “Something  for  Jesus.77 
Robert  Lowry.8 

“Simple  Aveu77  (“Confession77).  F.  Thome 
( instrumental ) . 

IY.  Solo  or  Special  Number.  Those  who 
have  special  gifts  should  be  taught  to  render 
special  service.  Many  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  fitting  selections  for  religious  use  are  writ¬ 
ten  in  solo,  duet,  trio,  or  quartet  forms.  The 
assembly  should  not  be  deprived  of  the  unique 
quality  which  these  may  add,  because  of  lack 
of  planning  and  preparation  on  the  part  of 


*Ibid.,  No.  158. 


67 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


those  who  have  the  service  in  charge.  Because 
of  the  nature  of  the  music  and  the  need  of  the 
individual  to  cultivate  his  talent  for  the  benefit 
of  others,  opportunity  should  be  provided  for 
this  rare  contribution.  For  example : 

“Come  Unto  Me,”  Soprano  Solo,  “The  Mes¬ 
siah,”  Handel. 

“Come  Ye  Blessed  of  My  Father,”  Baritone 
Solo  and  Trio  of  Women’s  Voices. — W.  C.  Mac- 
farlane. 

“We  Three  Kings  of  Orient  Are.”  For  Men’s 
or  Boys’  Voices  singing  solos  and  in  unison. 
Words  and  music,  John  H.  Hopkins;  tune, 
Kings  of  Orient.9 

Air  for  G  String,  Violin  Solo,  Bach  (or  other 
instrumental  numbers). 

V.  In  the  response  following  prayer,  the 
leader  gives  the  assembly  an  opportunity  to 
confirm  or  give  pledge  of  loyalty  to  that  which 
he  has  expressed  for  the  group.  This  forms  a 
bond  of  unity  between  the  leader  and  those 
who  are  led,  and  increases  the  feeling  of  re¬ 
sponsibility  for  the  ongoing  of  the  service 
among  the  group.  For  example: 

“O  Hear  Our  Prayer,”  I.  H.  Meredith.10 

VI.  The  postlude  has  the  chance  to  set  the 
seal  on  the  truth  of  the  service  by  gathering 
up  its  values  in  such  a  way  that  one  vivid  im- 

9  Hymnal  for  American  Youth,  Edited  by  H.  Augustine  Smith.  The 

Century  Company.  No.  90.  10  Ibid,.,  p.  35,  Orders  of  Worship. 


68 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


pression  may  be  taken  home  by  the  listeners. 
It  must  follow  logically  that  which  has  pre¬ 
ceded  in  order  to  do  this.  By  it  is  afforded  a 
moment  of  quiet  for  meditation  upon  the 
things  that  have  been  heard  and  felt  and  the 
mood  created  for  immediate  action,  which 
converts  purpose  into  deed  and  transforms 
ideal  into  practice. 

Whichever  one  of  these  ends  is  achieved,  the 
postlude  will  always  conserve  rather  than  de¬ 
stroy  what  has  been  gained  and  will,  therefore, 
never  degenerate  into  a  noisy  conclusion  to  a 
solemn  or  joyous  period  of  worship.  Wher¬ 
ever  practicable  it  may  be  sung  as  a  reces¬ 
sional,  leading  the  assembly  to  their  various 
classes  for  study  or  taking 'them  out  from  the 
house  of  worship  to  the  place  where  they  be¬ 
come  doers  of  the  word.  For  example: 

“Peace  I  Leave  With  you,”  George  C.  Gow. 
Missionary  Hymnal ,  published  by  Central 
Committee  on  United  Study  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions,  p.  37. 

“O  God  Who  Workest  Hitherto,”  Thomas 
W.  Freckleton;  tune,  Eagley.  James  Walch.11 

“March  Romaine,”  Charles  Gounod  (instru¬ 
mental  ) . 

“Hail  the  Glorious  Golden  City.”  Words, 
Felix  Adler;  tune,  Sanctuary,  John  B.;Dykes.12 


» Ibid .,  No.  212. 


uibid.,  No.  225. 
69 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Scope  and  Content 

When  we  think  of  the  Sunday  school  as  the 
place  where  people  of  all  ages  gather  to  receive 
religious  instruction  for  a  number  of  years, 
we  see  at  once  the  immense  scope  of  music  that 
is  fitted  to  meet  the  needs  of  all  these  ages  dur¬ 
ing  the  entire  period  of  attendance.  We  have 
almost  limitless  resources  in  both  vocal  and  in¬ 
strumental  music  which  have  been  created  for 
or  are  adapted  to  religious  purposes.  How¬ 
ever,  much  time  and  thought  and  intelligent 
planning  are  necessary  to  fill  out  the  scope 
with  music  carefully  chosen  and  related  to  the 
spiritual  development  of  the  individual  mem¬ 
bers  in  the  school.  Such  a  system  necessitates 
grading  of  the  music  so  that  each  year  shall 
receive  its  full  proportion  and  no  pupil  be  de¬ 
frauded  of  his  just  due. 

The  content  of  this  music  curriculum  which 
shall  be  at  all  adequate  to  the  demands  of  the 
modern  Sunday  school  must  include  songs  and 
hymns  which  develop  the  themes  that  are  being 
taught  in  the  classes  and  which  are  the  sub¬ 
jects  dealt  with  in  the  worship  services  of  the 
departments — standard  hymns  that  all  intelli¬ 
gent  Christians  should  know,  music  that  de¬ 
velops  the  aesthetic  sense,  cultivates  the  im¬ 
agination  and  that  which  conserves  the  spirit- 

70 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


ual  heritage  of  the  race.  All  material  chosen 
must  parallel  the  development  of  the  child  as 
his  singing  voice  is  trained,  his  psychological 
progress  is  made,  and  his  religious  life  unfolds. 

In  the  kindergarten  there  must  be  laid  a 
foundation  that  is  deep  and  strong  enough  to 
support  a  symmetrical  and  worthy  superstruc¬ 
ture,  each  successive  department  building  on 
its  own  appropriate  and  proportionate  part 
until  the  adult  is  the  possessor  of  a  well-bal¬ 
anced,  finely  wrought,  and  beautiful  musical 
house. 

Illustrations  of  Songs  and  Hymns  which  De¬ 
velop  Given  Themes: 

Kindergarten:  “Baby  Moses.”  Words,  Flor¬ 
ence  Hoatson;  tune,  by  Hermann  von  Mul¬ 
ler.13  God’s  Care. 

Primary:  “Tell  Me  the  Stories  of  Jesus.” 
Words,  W.  H.  Parker;  tune,  Stories  of 
Jesus.  F.  A.  Challinor.14  Life  of  Christ. 
Junior  :  “Marching  with  the  Heroes.”  Words, 
William  George  Tarrant ;  tune,  Via  Militaris. 
Adam  Geibel.15  Emulation  of  Heroes. 
Intermediate:  “I  Would  Be  True.”  Words, 
Howard  Arnold  Walter.  Tune,  Peek.  JO- 

13.4  Fust  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  107.  Edith  Lovell 
Thomas.  The  Abingdon  Press. 

“Ibid.,  No.  22. 

15  Hymnal  for  American  Youth,  No.  201. 

71 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


seph  Yates  Peck.16  Development  of  Chris¬ 
tian  Virtues.  Omit  refrain. 

Senior:  “This  Is  My  Father’s  World.”  Words, 
Maltbie  D.  Babcock;  tune,  Terra  Beata. 
Traditional  English  Melody.17  God  in  Na¬ 
ture. 

Young  People:  “Where  Cross  the  Crowded 
Ways  of  Life.”  Words,  Frank  Mason 
North;  tune,  Germany.  William  Gardiner’s 
Sacred  Melodies.1*  Christian  Vocations. 
Adult:  “O  Zion,  Haste  Thy  Mission.”  Words, 
Mary  A.  Thomson;  tune,  Tidings.  James 
Walch.19  World  Outlook. 

Illustrations  of  Hymns  that  All  Should  Know: 
Kindergarten:  “Now  the  Day  Is  Over.” 
Words,  Sabine  Baring-Gould.  Tune,  Mer- 
rial.  Joseph  Barnby.20 
Primary :  “Hymn  of  Praise.”  Words,  Folliott 
S.  Pierpoint.  Tune,  Dix.  Conrad  Koeher.21 
Junior:  “Faith  of  Our  Fathers,  Living  Still.” 
Words,  Frederick  W.  Faber;  tune,  Saint 
Catherine.  Henry  F.  Hemy  and  J.  G.  Wal¬ 
ton.22 

Intermediate:  “The  Son  of  God  Goes  Forth 

16  The  Methodist  Sunday  School  Hymnal,  No.  186. 

17  Hymnal  for  American  Youth,  No.  46. 

19  The  Methodist  Sunday  School  Hymnal,  No.  233. 

19  The  Methodist  Sunday  School  Hymnal,  No.  245. 

50  A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and  Worship,  No.  36. 

» Ibid.,  No.  20. 

12  The  Methodist  Sunday  School  Hymnal,  No.  117. 

72 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


to  War.”  Words,  Reginald  Heber;  tune, 
All  Saints.  Henry  S.  Cutler.23 
Senior:  “Lead  On,  O  King  Eternal.”  Words, 
Ernest  W.  Shurtleff;  tune,  Lancashire. 
Henry  Smart.24 

Young  People:  “O  Beautiful  for  Spacious 
Skies.”  Words,  Katherine  Lee  Bates;  tune, 
Materna,  Samuel  A.  Ward.25 
Adult:  “When  Wilt  Thou  Save  the  People?” 
Ebenezer  Elliott.  Tune,  Commonwealth. 
Josiah  Booth.26 

Illustrations  of  Vocal  and  Instrumental  Se¬ 
lections  which  Develop  the  Z Esthetic  Sense , 
Cultivate  Imagination,  and  Conserve  the 
Spiritual  Heritage  of  the  Race: 

AESTHETIC — IMAGINATIVE 

Kindergarten :  “To  a  Wild  Rose.”  Piano  Solo. 
Edward  MacDowell. 

Primary :  “The  Swan.”  Piano  Solo.  C.  Saint- 
Saens. 

Junior:  “Morning  Mood.”  Piano  Solo.  Ed¬ 
uard  Grieg. 

Intermediate:  “Pomp  and  Circumstance.” 

For  Pipe  Organ.  Edward  Elgar. 

Senior:  “Tune  from  County  Derry.”  Piano 
Solo.  Percy  Grainger. 

23  Ibid.,  No.  221.  uibid.,  No.  219. 

15  Hymnal  for  American  Youth,  No.  239. 

23  Methodist  Sunday  School  Hymnal,  No.  280. 

73 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Young  People:  “Kamennoi-Ostrow.”  Piano 
Solo.  A.  Rubinstein. 

Adult :  “Kol  Nidre.”  Violin  Solo.  Old  Hebrew 
melody  arranged  by  Max  Brucli. 

SPIRITUAL  HERITAGE 

Kindergarten:  “Lullaby.”  J.  Brahms,  Lul¬ 
labies.  N 

Primary :  “I  Think  When  I  Read  That  Sweet 
Story  of  Old.”  Jemima  Luke.  Tune,  Sweet 
Story.  Traditional  English  Melody.  Folk 
Songs. 

Junior:  “God  Rest  Thee,  Merry  Gentlemen.” 

Old  English  Carol.  Carols. 

Intermediate:  “If  With  All  Your  Hearts.” 
Tenor  Solo  from  “Elijah.”  F.  Mendelssohn. 
Oratorios. 

Senior :  “Marche  Religieuse.”  Organ  Solo.  A. 

Guilmant.  Pipe  Organ  music. 

Young  People:  “Unfinished  Symphony.”  Or¬ 
chestral  compositions.  Schubert. 

Adult :  “A  Mighty  Fortress.”  Tune,  Ein’ 
Feste  Burg.  Martin  Luther.  The  greatest 
hymn  of  all  Christian  faiths,  expressing 
praise,  adoration,  conflict,  triumph,  aspira¬ 
tion. 

Utilizing  Resources 

The  musical  resources  of  the  entire  church 
should  be  drawn  upon  for  the  education  and 

74 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


enjoyment  of  the  Sunday  school.  Any  person 
who  has  unusual  talent  or  who  has  had  mu¬ 
sical  training  should  be  allowed  the  privilege 
of  sharing  that  talent  with  the  members  of  his 
Sunday  school.  In  this  way  many  of  the  choic¬ 
est  selections  of  religious  musical  literature 
may  be  heard  which  would  otherwise  remain 
unfamiliar  to  the  rank  and  tile  who  go  in  and 
out  of  our  Sunday-school  doors. 

In  addition  to  this  resource  the  phonograph 
has  brought  within  our  reach  a  vast  store  of 
treasure  which  has  been  hitherto  inaccessible 
to  most  of  our  people.  If  this  instrument  is 
used  as  a  means  of  presenting  selections  which 
would  in  no  other  way  be  possible  for  our 
schools  to  hear  ( some  of  which  are  in  the  above 
lists),  then  it  can  be  utilized  to  very  great,  ad¬ 
vantage  on  frequent  occasions.  A  thorough 
study  of  the  catalogues  of  the  big  phonograph 
companies  will  reveal  how  much  untouched 
wealth,  as  far  as  our  schools  are  concerned, 
lies  in  this  modern  invention,  which  may  be 
had  at  very  little  expense. 

The  church  organ  is  an  investment  on  which 
the  Sunday  school  should  realize  much  more 
interest  than  it  does  at  present.  At  least  once 
a  year  there  should  be  conducted  an  organ  re¬ 
cital,  purely  for  the  instruction  and  delight  of 
our  Sunday-school  pupils.  They  should  be 

75 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


taught  to  know  and  appreciate  the  love  and  de¬ 
votion  of  the  great  musicians  who  have  written 
solely  for  the  church  and  religious  purposes 
and  be  helped  to  become  familiar  with  this 
portion  of  their  religious  heritage. 

Essentials 

In  order  to  reach  the  high  ideals  which  must 
be  clear  to  those  who  undertake  the  work  of 
training  in  music  in  our  Sunday  schools,  sev¬ 
eral  essentials  must  be  kept  in  mind:  1.  In¬ 
telligent,  trained  leadership,  involving  mu¬ 
sicianship,  fine  Christian  character  and  skill 
in  accomplishing  the  true  aim  of  all  Sunday 
school  service,  namely,  development  in  Chris¬ 
tian  character,  are  vital  to  the  work.  We  must 
not  be  satisfied  with  a  leader  who  merely  an¬ 
nounces  a  chance  number,  calls  upon  the  peo¬ 
ple  to  stand  and  sing  lustily,  and  beats  the 
time  with  vigor.  He  must  be  a  person  who 
knows  the  music  to  be  used,  understands  why 
it  is  being  used  at  the  given  moment,  and  is 
reasonably  skillful  in  accomplishing  the  aim 
toward  which  he  is  working. 

Our  pianists  must  be  people  who  not  only 
know  how  to  play  the  instrument  well  but  who 
can  sympathetically  enter  into  the  mood  of  the 
hour,  and  by  their  playing  promote  the  spirit 
of  worship  in  the  assembly. 

76 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


Our  people  must  not  be  allowed  to  sit  in 
listless  idleness,  nor  yet  engage  in  conversation 
while  a  hymn  is  being  sung  or  any  other  part 
of  the  program  is  being  attempted.  Such  con¬ 
duct  not  only  destroys  what  benefit  might  ac¬ 
crue  to  them  individually  but  is  a  distinct  act 
of  irreverence  toward  the  God  in  whose  service 
they  are  enlisted  and  whose  very  name  should 
be  hallowed. 

Wherever  an  orchestra  can  be  organized  and 
thoroughly  trained  to  assist  in  Sunday-school 
music,  such  a  group  must  first  be  taught  to 
understand  the  nature  of  the  service  it  is  to 
render.  Whatever  selections  this  orchestra 
may  be  asked  to  give  must  always  be  instinct 
with  religious  values.  Dance  music  or  so- 
called  secular  music  which  has  associations 
that  arouse  thoughts  foreign  to  worship  is 
obviously  out  of  place  in  Sunday  school. 
Standard  works  which  have  become  hallowed 
because  of  sacred  use  will,  when  fittingly 
chosen,  produce  the  right  reaction  from  the  as¬ 
sembly.  When  the  orchestra  plays  for  the 
singing  of  hymns  it  must  serve  as  an  accom¬ 
paniment,  never  drowning  out  the  voices  of 
the  singers  or  discouraging  them  from  a  hearty 
expression  of  praise.  The  orchestra,  like  every 
other  element  used  in  the  conduct  of  worship, 
must  learn  to  contribute  toward  that  worship 

77 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


and  never  detract  from  it  by  attracting  at¬ 
tention  to  itself. 

Departmental  Worship 

Unless  the  school  is  a  very  small  one,  the 
best  results  cannot  be  obtained  by  all  wor¬ 
shiping  together.  Just  as  the  capacities  and 
needs  and  interests  vary  with  the  different 
departments,  so  must  the  music  be  adapted  to 
their  varied  capacities,  needs,  and  interests. 
Because  of  these  diversities  departmental  wor¬ 
ship  is  the  only  sensible  method  of  dealing  with 
the  problem.  This  does  not  interfere  with  oc¬ 
casional  assemblies  when  all  departments  meet 
together,  for  it  is  always  important  that  cer¬ 
tain  bodies  of  worship  material  shall  be  known 
and  used  by  all.  Such  occasional  merger  serv¬ 
ices  are  naturally  held  at  the  times  of  the  great 
church  festivals — Christmas,  Easter,  and 
Children’s  Day — when  all  ages  worship  in 
common  and  each  department  has  opportunity 
to  contribute  its  own  unique  part  to  the  whole 
service. 


Imperative  Task 

“The  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the  true 
worshipers  shall  worship  the  Father  in  spirit 
and  in  truth :  for  the  Father  seeketh  such  to 
worship  him”  (John  4.  23). 

78 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


Music  occupies  a  large  part  of  the  period  de¬ 
voted  to  worship.  We  must  without  delay  ad¬ 
dress  ourselves  to  the  task  of  developing  that 
type  which  expresses  the  inner  spirit  of  wor¬ 
ship.  We  must  maintain  at  all  cost  the  truest 
and  the  finest  that  we  are  able  to  produce,  if 
we  would  be  among  those  whom  the  Father 
seeks  to  worship  him. 

Note:  Selections  of  songs  and  hymns  have  been  almost 
exclusively  made  from  A  First  Book  in  Hymns  and 
Worship,  The  Methodist  Sunday  School  Hymnal ,  and 
Hymnal  for  American  Youth,  because  these  books  dem¬ 
onstrate  the  principles  which  are  set  forth  in  this 
chapter.  They  are  an  honest  attempt  to  meet,  in  as 
adequate  a  measure  as  possible,  the  obligation  laid  upon 
those  who  direct  the  music  in  modern  Sunday-school 
worship. 


79 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ORCHESTRA 

J.  M.  WALKER  AND  A.  P.  WAGONER 

There  are  those  who  discountenance  having 
any  orchestra  at  all  on  the  ground  that  it  is 
so  likely  to  play  jazz  music  and  create  such  a 
rollicking  spirit  as  will  destroy  the  devotional 
atmosphere  of  the  Sunday  school.  Without 
question  there  is  ground  for  such  a  fear. 
However,  the  same  misgiving  has  been  voiced 
with  reference  to  choirs,  and  formerly  against 
organs  and  pianos.  Orchestras  can  be  of  fine 
advantage  if  properly  constituted  and  used 
They  give  opportunity  for  useful  and  fas¬ 
cinating  activity  to  many  who  would  otherwise 
have  no  place  in  the  Sunday  school  but  as  at¬ 
tendants,  if,  indeed,  they  were  that;  they  are 
of  especial  value  to  young  people  in  affording 
a  wholesale  activity  when  activity  of  some  sort 
is  essential ;  they  add  to  the  Sunday  school  a 
valuable  opportunity  for  fellowship  in  a 
profitable  and  interesting  activity  on  the  part 
of  those  with  a  definite  gift  and  passion  for  in¬ 
strumental  music;  they  help  to  prepare  mu- 

80 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ORCHESTRA 


sicians  for  future  service  in  the  church  and  to 
society ;  and  when  properly  made  up  and  used 
they  add  attractiveness  to  the  Sunday-school 
program,  increasing  the  attendance  and  help¬ 
ing  in  every  way  to  the  success  of  the  school. 
However,  as  with  all  else,  care  is  needed  to  see 
that  the  orchestra  proves  to  be  a  help  rather 
than  a  distraction. 

The  instrumentation  is  important.  The 
brass  should  not  be  overdone.  A  successful 
orchestra  leader  suggests  the  following  for  an 
orchestra  of  moderate  size:  five  first  violins, 
three  second  violins,  first  and  second  cornets, 
first  and  second  clarinets,  trombone,  ’cello, 
string  bass,  and  piano.  Saxophones  frequently 
have  a  place,  but,  like  the  horns,  can  easily  be 
overdone.  Entirely  too  many  young  people  are 
learning  to  play  the  saxophone  in  these  days, 
to  the  neglect  of  more  important  instruments. 

The  Sunday-school  orchestra  is  naturally  a 
mixed  affair,  consisting  usually  of  young  and 
old  of  both  sexes.  One  leader  says  he  usually 
finds  the  girls  more  proficient  than  the  boys, 
more  regular  in  attendance  at  rehearsals,  and 
more  deeply  interested  in  the  music.  This  may 
be  a  local  condition.  Certainly,  effort  ought  to 
be  made  to  enlist  the  boys.  Occasionally  it 
may  be  necessary  to  pay  some  outstanding 
player  to  become  the  nucleus  of  the  orchestra, 

81 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


and  when  the  ability  of  the  one  paid  is  con¬ 
spicuous,  the  arrangement  need  not  cause  dis¬ 
content  on  the  part  of  the  other  members. 
Usually,  however,  the  players  give  their  serv¬ 
ices  gladly.  As  for  the  leader,  it  is  frequently 
possible  to  secure  an  entirely  competent  one 
without  pay,  but  there  is  no  reason  why  a 
gifted  leader  of  the  orchestra  might  not  be  paid 
just  as  the  church  organist  or  choir  leader  is 
paid.  Good  character  is  just  as  important  in 
the  members  of  the  orchestra  as  in  the  choir, 
and  especially  in  the  leader. 

The  music  for  the  orchestra  ought  to  be  paid 
for  by  the  Sunday  school,  or  out  of  a  special 
fund  created  by  the  church.  It  may  be  of 
varied  character,  but  much  of  it  ought  to  be 
sprightly,  and  yet  all  of  it  of  real  worth  as  mu¬ 
sic,  and  suitable  for  a  service  of  worship. 
Dance  tunes  should  be  ruled  out.  Noble  over¬ 
tures  are  played  by  many  Sunday-school  or¬ 
chestras  as  the  opening  number,  to  the  great 
delight  and  advantage  of  the  school.  The 
knowledge  that  some  such  selection  is  to  open 
the  program  helps  to  bring  the  people  on  time. 
Most  Sunday-school  song  books  have  orchestra 
parts  to  go  with  them,  and  these  should  be  se¬ 
cured  for  the  orchestra. 

Regular  and  serious  rehearsals  are  neces¬ 
sary.  Unless  the  orchestra  does  something 

82 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ORCHESTRA 


worth  while,  the  better  players  will  soon  lose 
interest.  A  concert  occasionally  will  help  to 
hold  interest.  For  the  sake  of  the  school,  too, 
the  orchestra  needs  to  take  its  work  seriously. 

During  the  Sunday-school  hour  the  orches¬ 
tra  may  play  the  prelude,  give  a  march  when 
the  classes  are  going  to  their  places  and  return¬ 
ing,  and  a  postlude.  These  selections  should 
be  as  much  in  harmony  with  the  lesson  of  the 
day  as  possible.  To  play  some  hilarious  post¬ 
lude  after  a  solemn  lesson  would  hardly  seem 
sensible.  Unfortunately,  many  orchestras  pay 
not  the  slightest  attention  to  what  the  lesson 
is  about,  partly,  perhaps,  because  their  leaders 
or  members  do  not  attend  the  classes,  as  they 
ought  to  do. 

In  addition  to  their  special  numbers,  the  or¬ 
chestra  should  accompany,  not  too  boister¬ 
ously,  all  the  songs  by  the  school.  A  skilled 
chorister  can  use  the  orchestra  to  good  advan¬ 
tage  in  giving  every  song  the  right  tempo  and 
volume.  It  is  a  delight  to  sing  to  the  accom¬ 
paniment  of  a  good  orchestra. 

Practically  all  the  suggestions  that  apply 
to  the  use  of  the  organ  in  the  church  service 
apply  to  the  orchestra  in  the  Sunday  school. 
It  is  to  be  a  vital  factor  in  helping  the  school 
to  achieve  its  exalted  purpose. 


S3 


CHAPTER  VII 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 

JOHN  M.  WALKER 

Moody  felt  himself  doubly  strong  when 
Sankey  was  with  him.  So  the  pastor  who  has 
adequate  and  appropriate  musical  assistance 
during  the  revival  period  is  sure  of  easier  and 
of  greater  success. 

Evident  as  the  fact  just  stated  is,  yet  the 
music  of  revival  meetings  has  come  to  be  a 
problem,  and  in  some  cases  almost  a  scandal. 
Not  more  so,  however,  than  is  the  whole  meet¬ 
ing  when  it  is  not  properly  conceived  and  car¬ 
ried  forward. 

We  are  to  deal  only  with  the  revival  meeting 
in  the  average  church,  not  with  the  problem  as 
it  relates  to  the  great  tabernacle  effort. 

Some  would  make  a  more  or  less  emphatic 
distinction  between  the  revival  meeting  and 
the  evangelistic  meeting.  There  are  some  dif¬ 
ferences  that  may  well  be  noted,  but  such  dif¬ 
ferences  will  probably  be  clear  enough  without 
our  treating  the  music  for  the  two  purposes  in 
separate  sections. 

A  more  practical  and  important  distinction 

84 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


is  made  between  methods  suitable  for  adults 
and  those  for  children.  There  are  important 
differences  that  ought  to  be  kept  in  mind  here, 
which  usually  can  be  given  better  recognition 
when  separate  meetings  are  held  for  the  chil¬ 
dren  and  for  adults. 

It  is  true  that  many  of  our  songs  will  be  ap¬ 
propriate  for  all;  it  is  just  as  true,  however, 
that  some  songs  which  might  be  fitting  in  a 
meeting  for  adults  would  usually  be  out  of 
place  in  a  children’s  meeting.1  Of  course  chil¬ 
dren  are  frequently  in  the  meetings  with  the 
adults,  and  when  they  are,  the  best  must  be 
made  out  of  a  difficult  situation.  In  such  cases 
the  children  may  frequently  be  used  in  a  potent 
way  to  help  adults  to  decision.  Their  very  pres¬ 
ence  is  a  benediction.  But  certainly  their 
presence  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  or  ignored 
in  the  choices  of  music  for  the  meeting.  When 
they  are  gathered  in  separate  meetings,  songs 
embodying  imagery  and  ideas  that  are  appro¬ 
priate  to  their  experience  should  be  used.  Ef¬ 
forts  to  distinguish  between  the  songs  appro¬ 
priate  for  children  and  for  adults  sometimes 
go  too  far  and  fail  to  recognize  the  existence  in 
germ  in  the  child  of  everything  that  is  in  the 
adult,  but  certainly  some  of  the  highly  wrought 

1  For  example,  “There  is  Power  in  the  Blood,”  and  “Lord,  I’m  Coming 
Home.” 


85 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


imagery  of  songs  of  contrition  would  seem 
strained  and  in  some  cases  grotesque  in  the 
children’s  meeting,  and  liable  to  awaken  abnor¬ 
mal  feelings  in  the  child  mind.  A  sensitive, 
intelligent  person,  guided  by  the  Spirit,  will 
usually  have  leadings  as  to  what  songs  are 
appropriate  in  any  given  case.  Only  the  man 
who  is  dumb  or  brutal  will  take  ruthless  advan¬ 
tage  of  the  supersensitive  minds  of  the  little 
children.  There  will  be  found  no  warrant  in 
the  Gospels  for  such  a  procedure,  but  rather 
the  threat  of  a  millstone. 

A  distinction  might  well  be  made  also  as  to 
people  in  different  stages  of  development  as  re¬ 
gards  the  gospel.  The  problem  in  heathen 
lands  is  certainly  very  different  from  that  in 
countries  where  the  main  outlines  of  the  mes¬ 
sage  are  familiar.  Differences  almost  as  great 
exist  between  peoples  of  different  kinds  and 
degrees  of  education  and  experience  in  our 
country. 

The  differences  that  might  be  enumerated 
are  so  many  and  so  great  that  one  might  feel 
discouraged  to  say  anything  on  the  general 
problem.  But  here,  as  in  all  such  cases,  one 
must  depend  on  that  lively  common  sense,  and 
that  alert  passion  for  doing  good,  which  alone, 
under  the  guidance  of  God,  can  enable  one  to 
work  in  the  best  way. 


86 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


We  may  venture  a  statement  of  some  general 
principles  and  then  deal  with  some  of  the  more 
specific  items  of  the  problem  of  music  in  the 
revival  meeting. 

1.  Spiritual  Purpose 

The  spiritual  purpose  of  the  meeting  must 
never  be  forgotten  in  the  selection  and  the  ren¬ 
dition  of  the  music.  We  must  not  expect  spir¬ 
itual  fruits  from  worldly  music.  The  problem 
of  drawing  hearers  is  always  a  live  one  during 
the  revival  period,  but  the  getting  of  hearers 
should  not  be  looked  upon  as  identical  with 
leading  them  to  Christ.  I  suppose  that  one 
would  be  justified  within  limits  in  using  meth¬ 
ods  that  would  draw  the  people  who  are 
wanted,  provided  that,  after  they  came,  they 
were  led  to  something  bet  ter.  We  have  to  start 
with  people  as  they  are.  And  certainly  that 
is  poor  art  and  judgment  which  can  go  on  just 
the  same  whether  anybody  is  present  to  get  the 
benefit  of  it  or  not.  However,  the  leader  of  a 
revival  meeting  should  never  fail  to  recognize 
the  spiritual  faculty  that  is  in  every  human 
being,  somewhat  dormant,  it  may  be,  or  dulled 
by  neglect  or  misuse,  but  subject  to  response 
to  the  gospel  in  song.  The  best  magnet  to  draw 
the  world  to  the  revival  is,  after  all,  not  the 
tunes  of  the  street,  or  the  methods  of  the  vaude- 

87 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


ville,  but  the  glorious  gospel  in  song — in  sim¬ 
ple  songs,  it  may  be,  but  sincere  and  reverent 
and  tender  and  affectionate  and  full  of  faith 
and  redolent  of  encouragement  and  promise. 
“And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men 
unto  me.”  It  is  strange  that  anyone  should 
ever  think  of  turning  to  anything  other  than 
the  well-nigh  irresistible  attraction  of  the  gos¬ 
pel  to  bring  the  people  to  the  revival  meet¬ 
ings. 

Much  variation  may  exist,  it  is  true,  as  to  the 
words  and  music  that  are  most  suitable  for 
different  revival  meetings.  Sometimes  words 
and  tunes  that  are  simple  almost  to  childish¬ 
ness  and  crudity  may  make  an  appeal  that 
chaster  songs  do  not  make.  The  results  are 
the  criterion.  Music  is  a  servant,  although  one 
with  which  improper  liberties  should  not  be 
taken,  and  the  cultured  taste  must  be  willing 
to  sacrifice  somewhat,  if  need  be,  for  the  good 
of  others.  The  Glory  Song,  by  no  means  a 
grievous  example,  is  offensive  to  some  people, 
but  has  made  a  strong  appeal  to  many  others. 
Here,  again,  however,  we  need  to  realize  that 
the  great  central,  elemental  truths  of  human 
life  and  of  the  gospel  make  a  common  appeal 
to  all,  and  with  all  the  variations  that  may  and 
do  exist,  yet  there  are  songs,  like  “Nearer,  My 
God,  to  Thee,”  and  most  of  the  old  and  fa- 

88 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


miliar  hymns,  which  appeal  to  everyone,  and 
are  a  power,  when  properly  osed,  in  any  re¬ 
vival  meeting.  The  hymns  that  most  surely 
direct  the  thought  to  God  have  greatest  power 
and  value. 


2.  Drawing  the  Crowd 

We  would  venture  something  further  on  this 
important  theme.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
meeting  this  may  not  be  the  most  important 
part  of  the  problem.  Then  the  leading  ques¬ 
tion  should  be,  What  shall  we  do  with  the 
people  when  they  come?  And  the  thought  of 
getting  them  to  come,  and  also  the  confidence 
that  they  will  come  when  we  are  ready  for 
them,  if  we  use  proper  methods,  ought  to  be 
definitely  in  mind.  The  belated  lament  about 
people  not  coming  is  usually  a  proof  of  failure 
somewhere  in  the  plans  for  the  meeting.  Hav¬ 
ing  made  some  definite  preparation  to  make 
their  coming  worth  while,  it  is  one  of  the  great 
problems  of  every  revival  meeting,  especially 
in  these  days,  to  get  the  people  there  whom  we 
desire  to  influence.  Unquestionably  music  can 
be  a  mighty  power  in  the  solving  of  this  prob¬ 
lem.  Sometimes  good  music  in  itself  is  ade¬ 
quate  to  draw  and  to  hold  the  people.  Cer¬ 
tainly,  when  combined  with  great  preaching 
power  it  is  fairly  certain  to  win. 

89 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


3.  Continuity 

Articulating  the  revival  with  the  life  of  the 
church,  so  that  all  that  is  worthy  in  the  church 
will  be  strengthened  rather  than  weakened  by 
the  special  meetings,  is  exceedingly  important, 
but  very  often  is  disregarded.  It  is  sometimes 
disregarded  deliberately,  especially  when  an 
evangelist  holds  the  meeting.  Some  evangelists 
are  longheaded  and  serious  enough  to  try  in 
every  way  to  make  the  revival  a  wholesome  in¬ 
cident  in  the  ongoing  of  the  church,  joining 
helpfully  with  all  that  went  before  and  with 
what  is  to  come  after;  but  some,  either  from 
thoughtlessness,  or  cynicism  with  reference  to 
the  church,  or  superficiality,  or  bigotry,  delib¬ 
erately  try  to  make  the  revival  as  much  of  a 
break  with  the  life  of  the  church  as  possible. 
Some  pastors,  too,  do  not  sufficiently  appre¬ 
ciate  how  important  it  is  to  have  the  revival 
of  such  a  kind  as  will  make  their  church 
stronger,  rather  than  weaker,  in  the  things 
that  are  worth  while. 

A  revival  that  is  violently  “different”  may 
draw  the  crowd  more  quickly,  and  apparently 
produce  a  deeper  impression.  Certainly,  it 
will  produce  a  quicker  impression.  But  the 
vital  question  is,  What  will  such  a  revival  lead 
to?  Who  will  “carry  on”  after  it  is  over?  Is 

90 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


it  the  intention  to  form  a  new  church,  or  to  go 
forward  with  the  organization  that  existed  be¬ 
fore  the  revival?  It  may  be  very  proper  and 
necessary  to  wish  for  a  reconstructed  church, 
or  a  renewed  church ;  but  even  if  that  is  to  be 
sought,  still  a  certain  recognition  of  aught  of 
value  that  may  be  in  the  church  at  the  time  the 
revival  begins  will  need  to  be  made. 

A  revival  is  never  to  be  an  orgy,  and  ought 
not  to  be  an  excursion,  nor  a  rebellion,  except 
in  a  case  of  extreme  and  inescapable  necessity, 
in  which  event  it  might  be  a  question  as  to 
whether  such  a  revival  could  with  propriety 
be  held  in  the  building  of  the  church  which  it 
proposes  to  forsake  or  to  disrupt.  Certainly, 
even  in  the  most  desperate  of  circumstances', 
the  revival  ought  to  try  to  the  very  limit  to  use 
everything  of  good  there  is  in  the  church,  and 
to  try  to  correct  any  evils  that  may  have  at¬ 
tached  themselves  during  the  church’s  pre¬ 
revival  activities.  It  is  nothing  more  than 
sound  management  to  do  this,  and  when  we 
think  of  what  is  going  to  be  the  condition  after 
the  revival  effort  shall  have  closed,  we  see  the 
more  clearly  how  important  it  is  that  we  shall 
have  revived  the  church  rather  than  started 
needless  irritations  and  divisions  within  it. 

In  its  application  to  the  music,  what  we  have 
just  said  means  that,  as  far  as  possible,  the  mu- 

91 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


sical  resources  of  the  church,  as  they  were  at 
the  time  the  revival  began,  should  be  utilized 
and  made  the  backbone  of  the  music  of  the  re¬ 
vival  meeting.  There  may  be  some  special 
reason  why  the  organist  may  have  to  be  sup¬ 
planted,  or  the  choir  dropped,  or  some  other 
regular  musical  helper  of  the  church  side¬ 
tracked,  but  usually  that  would  seem  to  be 
blind  and  stupid  blundering.  Some  evangelists 
feel  that  they  must  thus  set  aside  the  pastor 
during  the  revival,  or  ask  that  all  the  regular 
meetings  of  the  church  societies  be  discon¬ 
tinued  during  the  special  meetings.  A  better 
plan  usually  would  seem  to  be  to  use  all  the 
regular  services  of  the  church,  and  all  the  regu¬ 
lar  workers  of  the  church,  supplementing  them 
if  need  be,  redirecting  their  activities  to  some 
extent  probably,  but  endeavoring  to  fill  them 
wTith  the  spirit  of  the  revival  as  a  guarantee  of 
permanence,  and  as  a  help  toward  the  largest 
and  most  peaceable  success.  We  should  say 
that  wisdom  would  be  to  use  the  organist,  and 
choir,  and  Sunday-school  orchestra,  and  chil¬ 
dren’s  chorus,  and  all  other  musical  resources 
of  the  church  in  the  fullest  and  most  effectual 
way  during  the  special  meetings  rather  than 
to  ignore  them  or  disintegrate  all  of  them  in 
the  wild  purpose  of  doing  something  new  and 
startling. 


92 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


4.  Permanence 

The  revival  should  aim  at  stressing  the 
things  that  can  be  permanent.  This  thought 
was  partly  involved  in  what  went  just  before, 
but  deserves  further  attention.  There  will  be 
some  special  and  passing  features  in  every  ef¬ 
fective  meeting,  just  as  there  are  likely  to  be 
peculiarities  in  every  strong  man.  But  the 
unusual  should  never  be  crowded  into  first 
place.  The  staple  elements  of  church  life 
ought  to  be  the  staple  elements  of  the  revival. 
Otherwise,  trouble  is  sure  to  follow  in  as¬ 
similating  the  results  of  the  revival  to  the  life 
of  the  church.  As  to  all  else,  so  this  applies  to 
the  music.  Shall  the  regular  church  song 
books  be  cast  aside?  It  may  be  that  a  new 
book  will  be  necessary.  Shall  we  have  no 
organ  prelude  or  offertory  or  postlude  on  Sun¬ 
day  while  the  revival  meeting  is  on?  It  may  be 
that  such  a  revolutionary  program  is  by  some 
special  condition  made  justifiable  or  necessary. 
But  it  is  to  be  noted  that  even  in  the  new  song 
book,  much  of  the  old  material  reappears — a 
tacit  but  emphatic  recognition  of  the  indispen¬ 
sableness  of  the  old ;  and  that  when  the  Sunday 
program  is  changed,  nevertheless  the  regular 
features  reappear  in  different  form.  Some¬ 
times  an  introductory  song  service  takes  the 

93 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


place  of  the  prelude,  and  a  solo  by  the 
evangelistic  singer  the  place  of  the  organ 
offertory.  For  the  purpose  of  the  re¬ 
vival  these  changes  may  be  useful,  but  it 
ought  not  to  be  overlooked  that  the  essential 
service  rendered  by  the  regular  features  is 
given  recognition,  even  though  unintended,  by 
the  substitutes  that  are  introduced.  If  the 
regular  elements  of  the  church  service,  with 
those  who  render  them,  are  not  crippled  or  de¬ 
stroyed,  but,  rather,  helped  by  the  change  of 
program,  or  if  driven  out  are  supplanted 
by  something  permanently  better,  then  the 
changes  will  have  proved  wholesome.  Other¬ 
wise  harm  has  been  wrought  that  will  face  the 
pastor  and  the  official  board  after  the  revival  is 
over.  It  would  seem  to  be  sound  policy  to 
use  the  regular  features  and  resources,  in 
sufficient  measure  at  least  as  not  to  alienate 
them,  and  to  try  to  infuse  into  them  the  new 
and  better  life  that  the  revival  ought  to  bring. 
Some  new  songs  undoubtedly  are  a  great  ad¬ 
vantage  during  the  revival,  but  the  old  ones 
ought  also  to  be  used  in  such  a  way  as  to  be¬ 
come  the  sources  and  the  channels  of  new  life 
in  the  church. 

Having  outlined  these  principles,  let  us  now 
note  more  in  detail  some  of  the  items  of  the 
problem. 


94 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


Special  Points 

1.  The  opening  service  of  music.  This  is  a 
very  important  contribution.  It  should  be  a 
service  full  of  good  cheer,  inspiring  with  the 
thought  of  the  gospel,  overflowing  with  joy 
and  praise  in  view  of  the  power  of  Christ  to 
save  and  of  the  victories  of  faith.  The  service 
need  not  necessarily  be  noisy,  although  songs 
of  power  should  be  frequent,  and  all  should 
thrill  with  life.  Sometimes,  however,  a  quieter 
song  accentuates  the  inner  and  deeper  spirit¬ 
ual  meaning  of  the  message  and  by  contrast 
makes  the  more  vigorous  music  more  telling. 
Soft  effects  are  not  used  enough  in  revival 
meetings.  It  is  a  mistake,  too,  to  think  that 
all  songs  should  go  with  the  same  tempo — 
that  a  large  congregation  cannot  sing  and  keep 
together  except  in  allegro.  Majestic  songs  like 
“All  Hail  the  Power  of  Jesus’  Name”  can  be 
sung  maestoso  with  tremendous  effect,  if  prop¬ 
erly  directed.  Songs  like  “Take  it  to  the  Lord 
in  Prayer”  are  made  ridiculous  by  being  sung 
too  fast.  If  the  proper  accent  is  given,  the  con¬ 
gregation  can  sing  them  in  the  right  time  with¬ 
out  dragging  or  deadening  them.  Changing 
time  to  suit  words  and  tune  but  adds  life  to  the 
meeting,  preventing  monotony. 

Special  numbers,  such  as  selections  by  the 

95 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Sunday-school  orchestra,  and  songs  by  chil¬ 
dren,  should  be  introduced  during  the  opening 
service,  for  here  they  will  add  interest  and  rest 
the  congregation,  without  running  such  a  risk 
of  lowering  the  tone  of  the  meeting  after  it  is 
fully  under  way.  Selections  by  visiting  choirs, 
or  delegations,  may  also  well  be  used  in  this 
part  of  the  service. 

2.  Special  solos.  When  well  chosen  and  ren¬ 
dered  effectively  these  are  of  great  value  either 
before  or  after  the  sermon. 

3.  Congregational  singing.  If  it  is  partici¬ 
pated  in  by  all  and  the  songs  become  in  reality 
the  channels  through  which  the  people  express 
their  fellowship  and  worship,  this  is  by  far  the 
most  important  music  at  any  part  of  the  serv¬ 
ice.  Considerable  liberty  may  be  allowed  in 
choosing  the  songs  to  be  sung.  Imagination 
and  sympathy  will  help  here.  It  is  only  a  form 
of  selfishness  and  an  evidence  of  short-sighted¬ 
ness  for  a  leader  to  force  people  to  sing  only 
what  he  himself  likes  or  approves.  The  leader 
is  to  be  the  servant  of  the  people,  and,  while  not 
pandering,  should  try  to  choose  those  songs 
which  will  serve  as  an  expression  for  the  sub¬ 
terranean  sorrows,  the  smothered  hopes,  the 
timid  aspirations,  and  the  yearning  faith  of  the 
people.  Good  congregational  singing  may  well 
make  the  revival.  It  was  so  in  Wales.  It  was 


96 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


in  no  small  measure  so  even  in  the  Lutheran 
revival.  Such  music  is  both  cause  and  effect. 
The  Spirit  of  God  uses  the  songs  as  a  means  of 
quickening  spiritual  truth  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  and  those  hearts,  as  they  become  quick¬ 
ened,  have  a  perennial  way  of  breaking  forth 
into  rapturous,  glorious  song.  The  wise 
preacher  knows  that  shorter  sermons  will  suf¬ 
fice,  once  the  tides  of  song  have  begun  to  roll. 

4.  New  and  old  songs.  Both  are  needed. 
About  three  new  singable  songs,  which  the 
people  will  hum  and  whistle  in  their  homes 
and  on  the  streets,  will  be  found  of  great  ad¬ 
vantage,  but  old  songs  and  hymns  of  worth  can 
not  be  dispensed  with.  They  prove,  under  skill¬ 
ful  leadership,  to  be  flowing  wells  of  salvation. 

5.  The  accompaniment  during  the  revival 
needs  to  avoid  becoming  obtrusive.  A  way  of 
skipping  up  and  down  the  keyboard  has  been 
imitated  from  the  tabernacle  pianists,  that 
does  not  always  work  out  so  well  in  the  church. 
Even  in  the  tabernacle,  where  the  unusual  ac¬ 
companiments  are  felt  to  be  needed  to  hold  the 
great  congregations  in  time,  and  where,  when 
well  done,  they  add  a  certain  brilliance  to  the 
music,  and  are  aimed  to  keep  it  from  going 
dead,  even  there  they  frequently  overstep  the 
limits  of  sound  taste  and  divert  from  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  songs.  In  the  church  such  capers  on 

97 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


the  piano  usually  smack  of  vanity.  The  piano 
ought  to  add  to  the  life  of  the  music,  but  it  can 
do  this  merely  by  stressing  the  accented  notes 
and  sounding  all  the  notes  clearly,  without 
changing  the  accompaniment.  If  the  pianist, 
however,  in  his  enthusiasm  cannot  keep  from 
adding  emotional  embellishments,  we  will 
make  the  same  allowance  for  these  as  we  do 
for  “shouting.”  Anything  but  deadness. 

6.  The  Director  of  Music  during  the  revival 
meeting  has  a  very  important  post.  It  is  a 
frequent  remark  that  satisfactory  leaders  of 
song  for  the  revival  are  scarce.  Why  should 
they  be?  There  are  many  good  singers.  The 
successful  leader  of  music  for  the  revival  needs 
to  be  at  least  a  fair  musician,  a  master  of  as¬ 
semblies,  and  above  all  a  man  of  God.  Fre¬ 
quently  a  man  with  adequate  musical  ability 
lacks  the  power  to  get  others  to  sing,  or  to 
kindle  enthusiasm  in  the  choir  and  congrega¬ 
tion.  Sometimes  he  overdoes  his  part  and  com¬ 
mits  that  fatal  blunder  of  directing  thought  to 
himself  instead  of  to  his  Lord.  A  smart- Aleck 
style  of  directing  sometimes  appears  just  as 
does  the  acrobatic  style  of  playing  the  piano. 
We  greatly  need  able  conductors  of  music  for 
the  revival  meeting,  who  will  glory  in  making 
themselves  servants  in  the  great  cause.  The 
Lord  give  them  to  us. 


98 


MUSIC  AND  THE  REVIVAL  MEETING 


7.  There  is  no  part  of  the  revival  meeting 
that  tests  the  grace  and  skill  of  the  leader  of 
music  more  than  the  time  of  decision,  and  the 
altar  service.  Then,  above  all  times,  “music 
for  its  own  sake”  is  worthless  and  sacrilegious. 
The  sensitive  leader  at  such  times  feels  for  the 
guidance  of  the  Spirit.  The  fitting  invitation 
hymn,  properly  rendered — that  is,  with  sym¬ 
pathy  and  with  the  spirit — is  wings  to  the 
trembling,  hesitant  soul,  and  puts  to  flight  the 
devils  of  fear  and  self-consciousness.  The 
spontaneous  stanza,  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
seems  to  indicate  as  the  only  one  fitting,  what 
power  it  has,  what  a  benediction  it  proves  dur¬ 
ing  the  time  of  invitation,  or  the  altar  service, 
or  the  solemn  or  jubilant  closing  moments  of 
the  meeting! 

Many  are  the  suggestions  that  might  be 
made,  all  of  them  important,  but  after  all  has 
been  said  and  done,  then  the  one  adequate  in¬ 
struction,  without  which  all  else  would  be 
vain,  is  that  the  leader  of  song,  and  all  who 
take  part  in  the  music,  need  to  look  for  the 
guidance  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which,  if  they 
properly  seek,  they  may  confidently  expect, 
just  as  the  preacher  and  the  whole  church  must 
realize  that  it  is  only  as  they  prove  to  be  co¬ 
workers  with  God  they  may  and  will  have  his 
power  and  achieve  his  purposes. 

99 


CHAPTER  VIII 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 

ROBERT  G.  McCUTCHAN 

The  poorest  tune  or  hymn  that  ever  was  sung  is  better 
than  no  tune  or  no  hymn.  It  is  better  to  sing  than  to 
be  dumb,  however  poor  the  singing  may  be.  Any  tune 
or  hymn  which  excites  or  gives  expression  to  true  de¬ 
vout  feeling  is  worthy  of  use;  and  no  music  which 
comes  to  us  from  any  quarter  can  afford  to  scorn  those 
simple  melodies  which  taught  our  fathers  to  weep  and 
give  thanks  in  prayer  meetings  and  revival  meetings. 
We  owe  much  to  the  habit  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
which  introduced  popular  singing  throughout  our  land, 
and  first  and  chiefly  through  the  West,  and  little  by 
little  everywhere. — Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

Some  priests  along  the  latter  part  of  the 
Hark  Ages  wanted  to  make  the  church  tunes 
more  attractive  than  the  atrocious  ones  written 
in  parallel  fourths  and  fifths,  so  they  moved 
the  tenors  to  the  bass  side  of  the  choir  and  put 
the  basses  over  where  the  tenors  were  wont 
to  stand,  transposed  the  bass  part  so  that  it 
became  the  tenor  part,  and  succeeded  in  intro¬ 
ducing  a  new  element  in  the  music  of  the  mass, 
namely,  singing  in  tuneful  thirds  and  sixths. 
This  manner  of  singing  became  known  as  faux 

100 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 


bourdon  (false  bass).  Of  course  it  was  con¬ 
demned.  This  was  not  the  traditional  style. 

Notker  Balbulus  (912),  a  cultivated  and 
spiritual  monk,  became  greatly  distressed  be¬ 
cause  the  peasants  had  no  part  in  the  worship 
of  his  day.  The  choir  did  all  the  singing,  the 
priests  did  all  the  praying,  and  the  words  not 
being  in  the  vernacular  the  peasant  not  only 
had  no  part  in  the  worship  but  much  of  the 
time  did  not  understand  what  was  going  on. 
In  order  to  bring  him  into  closer  relationship 
with  the  church  Balbulus  took  some  of  the 
tunes  (Responses,  such  as  “Amen,”  “Alleluia,” 
etc. )  and  fitted  to  them  words  that  ap¬ 
pealed  to  the  popular  mind.  The  desired  re¬ 
sult  was  obtained. 

The  Roman  Church  now  recognizes  several 
hundred  “Sequences” — the  style  originated  by 
Balbulus.  Yet  there  was  doubtless  much 
criticism  of  his  methods. 

Luther  insisted  that  the  people  be  allowed 
to  participate  in  public  worship  through  the 
medium  of  song.  Of  the  famous  ninety-nine 
points,  this  was  one  of  the  most  vigorously  con¬ 
tested.  He  wrote  and  caused  to  be  written 
songs  of  religious  character  in  a  popular  vein, 
expressly  for  the  purpose  of  getting  followers 
for  his  reforms.  He  succeeded.  We  are  told 
that  one  of  the  most  effective  means  of  winning 

101 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


converts  to  this  reform  movement  was  through 
the  singing  of  the  then  new  chorales. 

Marot,  the  Frenchman,  while  Luther  was 
having  his  chorales  sung  in  Germany,  was  lay¬ 
ing  the  foundation  for  modern  psalmody  by  his 
versification  of  the  Psalms.  These  verses  be¬ 
came  very  popular  and  were  sung  to  popular 
ballad  tunes  by  the  court  and  those  in  the 
court’s  favor.  Marot  had  his  trials  and 
troubles,  too,  for  he  also  was  an  innovator. 

Watts  popularized  singing  in  the  English 
churches.  He  suffered  much  criticism  at  the 
hands  of  the  severe  psalmists,  simply  because 
what  he  contributed  at  that  time  was  some¬ 
thing  new  and  different. 

The  Wesleys,  both  John  and  Charles, 
frankly  went  about  writing  songs  for  the 
avowed  purpose  of  getting  converts.  Benson, 
in  The  English  Hymn,1  says  : 

They  sought  to  reach  the  masses  neglected  by  church 
and  dissent  alike,  and  by  methods  disapproved  by  both. 
They  forsook  the  conventional  order,  aroused  intellec¬ 
tual  contempt,  awakened  intense  theological  bitterness, 
and  incurred  social  ostracism  and  even  personal  vio¬ 
lence.  It  is  difficult  now  to  produce,  even  to  the  imag¬ 
ination,  “The  Reproach  of  Methodism,”  and  to  appre¬ 
ciate  the  isolation  of  the  Methodist  Movement  from  con¬ 
temporary  religious  activity  or  stagnation. 

The  great  revival  of  1800  in  America,  start- 

1  George  H.  Doran  Company,  Publishers,  New  York. 

102 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 


in g  in  Kentucky,  was  largely  a  singing  move¬ 
ment,  These  camp-meeting  songs,  of  course, 
were  atrocious  from  both  the  literary  and  mu¬ 
sical  standpoint.  But  so  was  most  of  the 
preaching.  A  great  wave  of  religious  enthusi¬ 
asm  swept  over  the  country,  started,  in  large 
measure,  by  these  same  musical  absurdities. 

The  union  prayer  meeting  featured  the  re¬ 
vival  of  the  late  fifties,  and  this  movement 
called  for  its  peculiar  type  of  light,  popular 
song.  A  book  of  these  songs  was  issued  by  the 
Sunday  School  Union  in  1858,  and  was  called 
the  Union  Prayer  Meeting  Hymn  Book. 

During  the  conflict  of  1861-65  books  of  “sa¬ 
cred  songs”  were  issued  to  the  soldiers  of  both 
the  Northern  and  Southern  army  camps,  and 
of  these  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  were 
distributed. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  after  the  Civil  War,  came 
forward  quite  aggressively  in  its  use  of  songs 
of  the  type  that  we  now  call  revival  or  evan¬ 
gelistic.  It  was  at  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Convention 
at  Indianapolis,  in  1871,  that  Moody  drafted 
Sankey  for  his  work  in  Chicago.  Then  came 
the  famous  Moody  and  Sankey  meetings  in 
this  country  and  in  England  and  Scotland. 
Just  as  Watts  and  the  Wesleys,  through  their 
tunes,  helped  with  the  religious  movement  in 
America,  so  did  Moody  and  Sankey  later  re- 

103 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


turn  to  England  and  though  using  somewhat 
different  means,  sought  the  same  end — win¬ 
ning  souls. 

Following  these  men  came  a  host  of  imita¬ 
tors,  each  would-be  Sankey  compiling  a  more 
or  less  pretentious  collection  of  songs  for  use 
in  his  particular  revival  meetings.  Each, 
doubtless,  accomplished  some  good. 

This  brings  us  now  to  our  own  day,  the  era 
of  William  A.  Sunday  and  those  who  would 
follow  his  methods. 

From  the  earliest  days  of  the  organized 
church  to  the  present  time  there  have  been  dif¬ 
ferences  of  opinion  as  to  what  the  character  of 
the  music  in  religious  services  should  be. 
There  have  always  been  conservatives  as  well 
as  radicals.  There  is  the  type  that  finds  its 
fullest  expression  in  that  which  is  conserva¬ 
tive,  staid,  sometimes  prosaic,  and  which  has 
been  tried  by  literary  and  musical  fire  and  has 
stood  the  test.  There  is  also  the  type  that  finds 
its  fullest  expression  in  that  which  is  some¬ 
times  radical,  unconventional,  popular,  and 
which  is  seized  upon  for  its  momentary  effect, 
regardless  of  whether  or  not  it  has  lasting 
qualities.  It  is  but  right  that  both  types  be 
given  opportunity  for  fullest  and  freest  re¬ 
ligious  expression. 

The  result  of  this  difference  of  feeling  and 

104 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 


thought  has  given  us  a  long  list  of  hymnals  and 
a  great  number  of  “gospel  song”  books.  And 
we  have  found  this  curious  thing :  frequently 
some  contribution  is  made  to  these  hymnals 
by  way  of  the  “gospel  song.”  Only  a  few  of 
the  songs  of  this  type  find  a  permanent  home 
in  our  hymnals,  but  when  we  think  of  the 
thousands  of  hymns  that  have  been  written 
and  the  very,  very  few  that  are  generally 
known  and  used,  we  need  not  be  surprised  that 
the  number  of  “gospel  songs”  that  survive  is 
small. 

The  same  spirit  that  moved  Notker,  Luther, 
the  Wesleys,  and  the  host  of  others  that  have 
followed  them,  has  moved  most  of  the  writers 
and  compilers  of  the  songs  used  by  the  present- 
day  evangelists. 

The  camp-meeting  songs  were  trash.  Every¬ 
one  admits  that  now.  But  we  can  look  back 
with  toleration.  Much  good  was  accomplished. 
We  know  of  the  good  results,  but  most  of  the 
bad  features  of  the  means  by  which  this  same 
good  was  accomplished  have  been  forgotten. 
Time  softens  our  attitude.  Most  popular  mu¬ 
sic  is  not  of  very  high  type.  Neither  is  much 
of  the  popular  preaching.  The  same  is  true  of 
most  of  our  popular  literature.  It  all  has 
but  a  momentary  appeal,  but  the  point  is  that 
it  does  appeal,  if  but  for  a  moment.  Sincere, 

105 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


spontaneous  expression,  whatever  its  form, 
usually  reaches  its  mark. 

Revival  songs  were  written  for  a  particu¬ 
lar  purpose.  Let  us  not  condemn  the  better 
song  of  this  kind  because  it  is  used  for  some 
other  purpose  than  that  for  which  it  was  writ¬ 
ten.  Let  us,  rather,  condemn  the  person  who 
seeks  to  use  it  at  all  services  when  it  was  in¬ 
tended  to  be  used  only  at  the  time  of  special 
revival  effort. 

The  cheap,  the  tawdry,  the  almost  vulgar 
song,  is  always  to  be  condemned.  It  must  be 
understood,  however,  that  the  same  kind  of  a 
song  will  not  appeal  to  all  kinds  of  people. 
This,  again,  is  true  of  preaching.  The  kind  of 
preaching  that  is  demanded  by  the  cultured 
congregation  will  not  do  for  the  unlettered. 

Interest  in  the  type  of  revival  meeting  that 
has  been  so  prevalent  for  the  past  twenty  years 
or  longer  seems  to  be  passing.  And  with  it 
will  go  the  type  of  song  that  has  so  long  been 
in  controversy.  Something  else  will  take  its 
place.  Just  because  there  is  this  waning  in¬ 
terest  we  need  not  fear  for  the  future.  The 
church  is  not  going  to  stand  still — it  is  not 
going  to  rest  from  its  labor  in  the  winning  and 
saving  of  souls.  About  eighty-five  per  cent  of 
the  acquisitions  to  the  church  are  recruited 
from  the  ranks  of  the  children  and  not  many 

106 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 


of  them  are  reached  by  revival  methods  of  the 
kind  with  which  we  are  all  so  familiar.  These 
same  children  will  help  us  solve  the  problem 
of  the  music  to  be  used  in  our  special  meetings 
of  the  future.  The  fact  that  music  is  being 
taught  so  efficiently  and  effectively  in  our  pub¬ 
lic  schools  is  probably  the  greatest  factor  in 
the  change  that  is  taking  place.  The  genera¬ 
tion  now  coming  on  will  have  great  influence. 

There  is  great  and  just  objection  to  the  as¬ 
sociation  of  revival  music  with  that  of  the 
cheap,  popular  tunes  in  the  mind  of  the  child. 
Church  music  should  be  different  from  popu¬ 
lar,  social  music.  There  should  be  a  definite 
association  of  the  music  used  in  our  churches 
with  spiritual  things.  Can  we  expect  the  child 
to  be  in  a  proper  frame  of  mind  to  receive  a 
religious  truth  when  he  hears  the  orchestra 
play  for  the  opening  of  Sunday  school  the  same 
tune  that  was  played  at  the  class  party  the 
night  before? 

The  element  of  commercialism  that  has  en¬ 
tered  into  this  whole  matter  of  compiling  and 
publishing  volume  after  volume  of  almost 
wholly  worthless  song  books  has  probably  had 
more  than  anything  else  to  do  with  bringing 
the  whole  thing  into  disrepute.  Moody  and 
Sankey  received  seven  thousand  pounds  from 
the  sale  of  their  books  in  England  and  Scot- 

107 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


land,  but  from  this  sale  they  profited  person¬ 
ally  not  one  bit.  In  1917  one  of  the  leading 
publishers  of  revival  song  books  in  America 
received  a  like  sum  ($35,000)  from  the  sale  of 
his  publications — and  he  kept  all  of  it  for 
himself. 

Let  us  give  the  Master  the  best  that  we  have, 
of  our  intellectual  as  well  as  of  our  material 
possessions.  Professor  Pratt,  in  his  Musical 
Ministries  in  the  Churchy 2  says : 

The  use  by  any  church  of  that  which  it  knows  to  be 
unworthy  of  itself  and  of  God  is  so  shameful  that  it 
is  almost  blasphemous.  Counterfeit  coin  on  the  con¬ 
tribution  plate,  vacant  lip-service  in  the  prayers,  and 
doggerel  and  trash  in  the  hymnody  are  pretty  much 
alike  as  tributes  of  worship.  But  one  person  cannot 
always  judge  for  another  in  this  latter  case.  Let  us 
leave  the  door  wide  open  for  the  use  by  others  of  what 
seems  devotional  to  them  and  really  the  best  that  they 
can  offer.  But  let  us  have  no  mercy  on  ourselves  if  we 
are  satisfied  with  what  we  know  to  be  poor,  or  if  we 
fail  to  try  to  lead  others  upward  from  immature  or 
mistaken  standards  to  the  higher  ones  that  we  have 
learned  to  set  up  for  ourselves.  In  all  such  efforts  for 
improvement  let  us  constantly  appeal  to  the  right  mo¬ 
tive,  namely,  the  duty  and  privilege  of  honoring  God  by 
bringing  to  him  only  what  is  our  best.  The  first  chap¬ 
ter  of  the  prophecy  of  Malachi  strikes  the  keynote  of 
the  subject  on  this  side. 

Most  of  our  authorities  on  church  music 
have  taken  a  very  sympathetic  stand  on  this 

JG.  Schirmer,  Inc.,  Publishers,  New  York. 

108 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 


subject.  While  calling  attention  to  its  worst 
features  they  still  give  it  full  credit  for  what 
it  has  done. 

Humphreys,  in  his  Evolution  of  Church 
Music /  says  : 

The  character  of  piety  they  cultivate  is  somewhat 
superficial,  not  to  say  hysterical;  hut  it  cannot  be  de¬ 
nied  that  they  stir  the  heart  of  the  common  throng.  The 
refrains  which  generally  are  attached  to  them  are  readily 
caught  by  the  ear;  and  that  wave  of  emotional  sympathy, 
easily  started  in  large  audiences,  soon  sweeps  over  the 
meeting,  and  choir  and  congregation  are  at  once  drawn 
into  close  accord.  .  .  .  No  doubt  the  participants  are 
moved  by  profound  and  genuine  feeling,  yet  we  are  un¬ 
able  to  approve  of  the  introduction  of  such  melodies  into 
church  services. 

And  Curwen,  in  bis  Studies  in  Worship  Mu¬ 
sic*  says: 

After  the  musician  has  vented  his  spleen  upon  this 
degenerate  psalmody,  an  important  fact  remains:  music 
for  worship  is  a  means,  not  an  end,  and  we  are  bound 
to  consider  how  far  these  tunes  serve  their  end  in  mis¬ 
sion  work,  which,  after  all,  has  not  musical  training 
for  its  object,  so  much  as  the  kindling  of  the  divine 
spark  in  the  hearts  of  the  worshipers.  Without  doubt 
these  songs  touch  the  common  throng;  they  match  the 
words  to  which  they  are  sung  and  carry  them. 

Professor  Dickinson,  in  bis  Music  in  the  His¬ 
tory  of  the  Western  Church /  says: 

3  Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  Publishers,  New  York. 

4  J.  Curwen  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Publishers,  London. 

6  Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  Publishers,  New  York. 

109 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Those  churches  which  rely  mainly  upon  gospel  songs 
should  soberly  consider  if  it  is  profitable  in  the  long 
run  to  maintain  a  standard  of  religious  melody  and 
verse  far  below  that  which  prevails  in  secular  music 
and  literature.  The  church  cannot  afford  to  keep  its 
spiritual  culture  out  of  harmony  with  the  higher  in¬ 
tellectual  movements  of  the  age.  One  whose  taste  is 
fed  by  the  poetry  of  such  masters  as  Milton  and  Tenny¬ 
son,  by  the  music  of  Handel  and  Beethoven,  and  whose 
appreciations  are  sharpened  by  the  best  examples  of 
performances  in  the  modern  concert  hall,  cannot  drop 
his  taste  and  critical  habit  when  he  enters  the  church 
door.  The  same  is  true  in  a  modified  degree  in  respect 
to  those  who  have  had  less  educational  advantages.  It 
is  a  fallacy  to  assert  that  the  masses  of  the  people  are 
responsive  only  to  that  which  is  trivial  and  sensational. 
.  .  .  In  all  this  discussion  I  have  had  in  mind  the  steady 
and  normal  work  of  the  church.  Forms  of  song  which, 
to  the  musician,  lie  outside  the  pale  of  art  may  have  a 
legitimate  place  in  seasons  of  special  religious  quicken¬ 
ing.  .  .  .  The  revival  hymn  may  be  effective  in  soul¬ 
winning;  it  is  inadequate  when  treated  as  an  element 
in  the  larger  task  of  spiritual  development. 

Professor  Breed,  in  his  History  and  Use  of 
Hymns  and  Hymn-Tunes /  says: 

And  yet  the  gospel  songs  have  had  this  permanent  in¬ 
fluence:  they  have  served  to  suggest  a  better  use  of  the 
better  tunes.  Our  congregational  singing  has  been  much 
improved  by  observing  their  methods.  It  might  be  still 
more  improved  would  we  only  heed  the  lessons  we  have 
been  taught.  There  is  by  far  too  much  sameness  in  our 
praise.  We  sing  most  of  our  tunes  at  the  same  rate 
and  with  the  same  degree  of  force.  The  minister  and 
the  choir  care  all  too  little  whether  any  attempt  is  made 

6  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company,  Publishers,  New  York. 

110 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 


to  interpret  the  sentiment  of  the  hymn  or  to  express 
the  meaning  of  the  tune  to  which  it  is  set.  Great 
congregations  which  sang  the  gospel  songs  were  taught 
to  “shade”  them.  There  was  always  an  interlacing  sym¬ 
pathy  between  choir  and  congregation,  which  we  might 
continue  to  cultivate  as  well  as  not;  and  the  variety  in¬ 
troduced  in  the  method  of  singing  the  same  song  might 
often  be  introduced  in  our  church  services — particu¬ 
larly  at  evening  worship — to  the  greater  pleasure  and 
profit  of  the  worshipers.  If  the  same  interest  were  taken 
in  the  proper  rendering  of  our  solid  church  tunes  as  was 
shown  in  the  gospel  songs,  their  great  and  manifest  su¬ 
periority  to  the  gospel  songs  would  quickly  and  em¬ 
phatically  appear. 

Let  us  not  become  too  greatly  concerned 
about  it  all.  The  whole  matter  of  hymns  used 
is  largely  a  matter  of  taste.  One  chooses  what 
he  likes.  The  child  chooses  the  gaudiest-col¬ 
ored  candy  until  lie  knows  better. 

While  it  is  almost,  if  not  quite,  impossible 
for  the  scholarly  musician  and  the  person  of 
general  cultural  attainment  to  realize  that  a 
great  deal  of  spiritual  good  has  been  accom¬ 
plished  by  means  of  the  worst  musical  trash, 
nevertheless  it  is  true. 

We  must  grant  that  there  are  some  exceed¬ 
ingly  dismal  tunes  in  our  hymnals.  This  is 
true  of  all  the  hymnals  of  all  the  different  de¬ 
nominations.  We  must  also  grant  that  there 
are  many,  many  beautiful  ones,  and  these, 
strange  to  say,  are  too  rarely  used.  Many  a 
fine  spiritual  message  has  failed  because  of 

ill 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


its  ponderosity.  Many  a  fine  hymn  has  such 
an  unsingable  musical  setting  that  it  cannot  be 
effectively  used. 

There  are  few  communities  where  the  whole¬ 
some  and  beautiful  in  both  verse  and  music 
are  not  appreciated  and  should  not  be  used. 
Yet  there  are  some.  Even  in  those  places 
where  it  seems  that  only  an  emotional  appeal 
can  be  made,  there  are  good  tunes — strong  and 
sensible,  not  weak  and  sentimental — set  to 
verse  which  has  literary  merit,  that  can  be 
used  with  telling  result. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  right  here  to  suggest 
that  the  next  time  a  singing  evangelist  is  en¬ 
gaged,  there  be  a  specific  agreement  before  he 
comes  that  he  is  not  to  unload  his  books  on  the 
church  at  the  close  of  the  meetings.  If  this  is 
done,  he  will  probably  not  bring  any  books  and 
will  take  the  time  and  make  the  necessary  ef¬ 
fort  to  find  hymns  from  the  hymnal  that  will 
suit  his  purpose  just  as  well. 

Many  earnest  workers  have  about  given  up 
hope  for  the  conventional  church-member.  He 
(and  she)  is  about  hopeless.  If  it  is  going  to 
be  necessary  to  reach  them,  as  well  as  those 
outside  the  conventionalized  walls  of  the 
church,  with  a  different  kind  of  a  verse  and 
tune  from  that  to  which  many  of  us  are  accus¬ 
tomed,  and  to  which  many  of  us  object,  let 

112 


THE  GOSPEL  SONG  BOOK 


us  find  that  kind  of  a  verse  and  tune  and  set  it 
to  work.  But  let  us  be  sure  that  the  material 
we  have  at  hand  will  not  work  before  we  con¬ 
demn  it  and  go  searching  for  something  not 
nearly  so  good.  If  the  particular  problem  calls 
for  a  different  method  of  solving,  let  us  not 
haggle  about  methods,  let  us  solve  the  problem. 
If  “O  Love  That  Wilt  Not  Let  Me  Go”  does  not 
appeal,  and  “Mother  Will  Be  There”  does,  use 
“Mother  Will  Be  There.” 

Read  this  bit  of  testimony  from  a  man  of 
international  reputation,  who  for  a  generation 
stood  high  in  the  councils  of  the  nation,  who 
lived  in  the  Middle  West,  and  whose  death  was 
mourned  by  the  whole  people : 

The  wave  of  the  great  awakening  of  1800  had  not  yet 
subsided.  Bascom  was  still  alive.  I  have  heard  him 
preach.  The  people  were  filled  with  the  thoughts  of 
heaven  and  hell,  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul  and  the 
life  everlasting,  of  the  Redeemer  and  the  cross  of  Cal¬ 
vary.  The  camp  ground  witnessed  an  annual  muster 
of  the  adjacent  countryside.  The  revival  was  a  religious 
hysteria  lasting  ten  days  or  two  weeks.  The  sermons 
were  appeals  to  the  emotions.  The  songs  were  the  out¬ 
pouring  of  the  soul  in  ecstasy.  There  was  no  fanaticism 
of  the  death-dealing,  proscriptive  sort;  nor  any  con¬ 
scious  cant;  simplicity,  child-like  belief  in  future  re¬ 
wards  and  punishments,  the  orthodox  gospel  the  uni¬ 
versal  rule.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  doughty  con¬ 
troversy  between  the  churches,  as  between  the  parties; 
but  love  of  the  Union  and  the  Lord  was  the  bedrock  of 
every  confession. 


113 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Inevitably  an  impressionable  and  imaginative  mind 
opening  to  such  sights  and  sounds  .  .  .  must  have  been 
deeply  affected.  With  the  loudest  I  could  sing  all  of 
the  hymns.  .  .  .  Their  words,  aimed  directly  at  the 
heart,  sank,  never  to  be  forgotten,  into  my  memory.  To 
this  day  I  can  repeat  most  of  them — though  not  without 
a  break  of  voice — while  too  much  dwelling  upon  them 
would  stir  me  to  a  pitch  of  feeling  which  a  life  of  ac¬ 
tivity  in  very  different  walks  and  ways  and  a  certain 
self-control  I  have  been  always  able  to  command  would 
scarcely  suffice. 

The  truth  is  that  I  retain  the  spiritual  essentials  I 
learned  then  and  there.  I  never  had  the  young  man’s 
period  of  disbelief.  There  has  never  been  a  time  when 
if  the  Angel  of  Death  had  appeared  upon  the  scene — no 
matter  how  festal — I  would  not  have  knelt  with  adora¬ 
tion  and  welcome;  never  a  time  on  the  battlefield  or  at 
sea  if  the  elements  had  opened  to  swallow  me  I  would 
not  have  gone  down  shouting. 

Sectarianism  in  time  yielded  to  universalism.  The¬ 
ology  came  to  seem  to  my  mind  more  and  more  a  weapon 
in  the  hands  of  Satan  to  embroil  the  churches.  I  found 
in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  leading  enough  for  my 
ethical  guidance,  in  the  life  and  death  of  the  Man  of 
Galilee  inspiration  enough  to  fulfill  my  heart’s  desire, 
and  though  I  have  read  a  great  deal  of  modern  inquiry, 
.  .  .  I  have  found  nothing  to  shake  my  childlike  belief 
in  the  simple  rescript  of  Christ  and  Him  crucified. — 
From  Marse  Henry ,  the  Autobiography  of  Henry  W. 
Watterson.7 

7  George  H.  Doran  Company,  Publishers,  New  York. 


114 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  DIRECTOR  OF  MUSIC 

R.  G.  McCUTCHAN 

The  Director  of  Music  should  be  a  good 
man.  He  has  too  prominent  a  part  to  play  in 
all  services  of  worship  to  be  other  than  a  good 
man.  He  should  be  so  versatile  that  one  al¬ 
most  despairs  of  ever  finding  just  the  right 
type. 

There  are  so  many  different  situations  in 
our  churches  that  in  a  discussion  of  this  kind 
what  is  said  concerning  one  will  not  apply  to 
others.  An  attempt  will  be  made  to  discuss 
the  Director  of  Music  first  in  the  large  church 
where  music  plays  a  great  part  in  its  activities 
and  worship,  and  where  it  is  possible  to  expend 
a  considerable  amount  of  money  for  the  serv¬ 
ices  of  the  Director,  organist,  and  choir;  and, 
second,  in  the  small  church  where  the  Director 
is  usually  the  organist  or  pianist  and  choir 
leader,  and  where  there  is  not  much  work  of 
organization  aside  from  that  in  connection 
with  the  choir  used  for  the  regular  church 
services. 

Primarily,  the  Director  should  have  a  clear 

115 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


conception  of  the  purpose  of  music  in  the  vari¬ 
ous  phases  of  church  work.  He  should  have 
general  supervision  of  all  of  the  music  for  all 
of  the  services,  including  the  Sunday  school, 
young  people’s  meetings,  midweek  meetings, 
and  special  services,  as  well  as  of  the  regular 
Sunday-morning  and  evening  services.  His 
work  should  have  to  do  with  the  form,  person¬ 
nel,  and  organization  of  the  choirs  and  orches¬ 
tras,  and  with  the  singing  of  the  congregation. 

If  he  is  not  an  organist,  he  should  at  least 
have  some  knowledge  of  organs  and  organ 
playing.  If  he  is  not  a  singer,  he  should  have 
some  knowledge  of  the  use  and  care  of  the 
voice. 

He  should  give  serious  attention  not  only  to 
the  selection  and  arrangement  of  the  music  for 
all  occasions,  but  give  just  as  serious  thought 
to  its  rehearsal. 

In  a  large  program  the  matter  of  finances  is 
of  no  small  concern,  and  he  should  be  able 
properly  to  apportion  and  account  for  his  ex¬ 
penditures. 

The  social  features  possible  in  such  organ¬ 
izations  as  choirs  and  orchestras  will  well  re¬ 
pay  thoughtful  consideration  on  the  part  of 
the  Director.  They  will  be  found  to  be  a  potent 
factor  in  making  the  organizations  function 
properly. 


116 


THE  DIRECTOR  OF  MUSIC 

He  should,  above  all,  be  in  sympathy  with 
the  minister  in  his  work  and  consult  with  him 
frequently,  freely  and  sympathetically.  Many 
a  program  falls  short  in  its  effectiveness  be¬ 
cause  of  lack  of  sympathetic  cooperation  be¬ 
tween  the  minister  and  the  Director  of  Music. 

Let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  the  size  of  the 
job.  There  are  fifty- two  regular  meetings  of 
the  Sunday  school  during  the  year,  fifty-two 
meetings  of  the  Junior  League,  fifty- two  meet¬ 
ings  of  the  Epworth  League,  fifty-two  midweek 
meetings,  fifty-two  morning  services,  and  fifty- 
two  evening  services.  Here  we  have  three  hun¬ 
dred  and  twelve  regularly  scheduled  occasions 
for  which  music  of  one  kind  or  another  must  be 
furnished.  For  the  Sunday  school  there  is  the 
necessity  of  selecting  suitable  music  for  the  or¬ 
chestra  and  the  children’s  choir.  It  is  no  easy 
task  to  select  and  properly  rehearse  enough 
music  of  the  right  type  for  orchestra  for  fifty- 
two  meetings  of  this  kind.  It  will  not  do 
merely  to  use  the  same  things  that  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  orchestra  have  played  on  other  oc¬ 
casions.  This  is  the  general  practice,  it  is  true, 
but  it  should  not  be  so.  That  there  is  some¬ 
thing  in  association  has  been  said  so  often  con¬ 
cerning  tunes  that  it  is  becoming  trite,  even 
though  it  cannot  be  said  enough.  Apparently, 
the  mere  saying  has  not  yet  had  the  desired  ef- 

117 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 

feet.  We  still  hear  the  same  tune  played  as  the 
opening  number  of  the  Sunday  school  that 
the  same  children  heard  at  some  social  gather¬ 
ing  only  a  few  nights  before.  Children  should 
associate  certain  tunes  with  their  Sunday- 
school  experiences.  The  Director  of  Music 
may  well  give  serious  thought  to  this.  From 
the  ranks  of  the  Sunday-school  orchestra  of  to¬ 
day  we  will  select  our  musical  leaders  for  the 
Sunday  school  and  church  of  to-morrow.  Wliat 
has  been  said  of  the  orchestra  may  also  be  said 
of  the  choir  of  children. 

The  Junior  League  is  the  ideal  place  to  or¬ 
ganize  a  Junior  Choir,  from  which  recruits 
for  the  Senior  Choirs  may  be  secured.  There 
is  a  great  deal  of  little-known  music  that  is 
available  for  use  in  an  organization  such  as 
this  may  be.  Because  there  are  but  few  Junior 
Choirs  is  no  argument  as  to  why  there  should 
not  be  many  more  of  them.  Suitable  music  is 
to  be  had,  but  to  find  it  will  require  much 
searching,  and  the  Sunday-afternoon  meeting 
time  rolls  around  with  disconcerting  regu¬ 
larity.  The  Director  has  here  a  field  that  will 
occupy  quite  a  little  of  his  time. 

Music  of  a  different  character  and  grade 
should  be  used  in  connection  with  the  Epworth 
League’s  activities.  Here  too  an  orchestra,  or 
small  combinations  of  instruments,  can  be 

118 


THE  DIRECTOR  OF  MUSIC 

used  quite  effectively.  And  there  is  ever  the 
search  for  the  right  kind  of  selections,  both 
instrumental  and  vocal,  that  have  the  correct 
appeal  for  young  people  of  high-school  and 
college  age.  There  is  no  better  spiritual  invest¬ 
ment  than  that  which  can  be  made  in  and 
through  these  young  people.  It  will  pay  large 
dividends  later  in  their  church  life.  And  there 
is  no  stronger  appeal  than  that  of  music.  So 
see  to  it  that  much  attention  is  paid  to  this 
phase  of  musical  work.  If  the  Director  be  a 
man  who  has  the  proper  appreciation  of  the 
great  part  that  the  singing  of  hymns  may  play 
in  worship,  let  him  not  overlook  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  that  is  presented  for  the  study  and  prac¬ 
tice  of  hymns  and  hymn-singing  in  the  mid¬ 
week  ^service.  Few  choristers  and  organists 
have  the  right  attitude  toward  hymn-singing. 
There  seems  to  be  a  feeling  that  because  hymn 
tunes  are  short — the  tunes  having  only  a  few 
measures — they  are  not  worth  spending  much 
time  in  studying.  Most  of  the  good  hymn  tunes 
have  more  good  music  packed  in  the  few  meas¬ 
ures  they  contain  than  in  many  much  longer 
anthems.  The  prayer  meeting  is  not  now 
largely  attended,  but  if  it  should  be  the  policy 
to  make  this  meeting  the  occasion  of  a  sort 
of  community  hymn-singing  time,  would  it  not 
have  a  new  appeal?  And  just  here  is  where 

119 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


much  constructive  work  may  be  done  that  will 
hold  over  to  the  regular  Sunday  services, 
morning,  and  especially,  evening.  It  is  not 
asking  too  much  of  the  Director  of  Music  to 
look  well  to  this  work.  A  very  great  many 
new  hymns  may  be  learned  in  a  year’s  time. 

More  has  been  written  concerning  the  music 
of  the  morning  service  than  of  that  of  all  the 
other  services  combined.  It  is  the  big  meeting 
of  the  week.  Most  Directors  feel  that  it  is  the 
only  one,  excepting  the  evening  service,  which 
demands  anything  of  them.  It  does  seem  that 
the  selection  and  preparation  of  the  instrumen¬ 
tal  numbers,  two  anthems,  usually  a  solo,  and 
the  attention  that  is  paid  to  hymn  study  for 
the  morning  service,  and  the  special  music  for 
the  evening  would  be  enough  for  one  man  to 
do.  But  one  man  cannot  be  expected  to  do  all 
of  it.  One  man  should  have  the  direction  of 
all  of  it,  but  he  will  have  to  have  some 
assistance  if  the  kind  of  program  needed 
by  the  larger  modern  church  be  carried  out 
properly.  Space  does  not  permit  a  full  dis¬ 
cussion  of  the  problem  of  the  morning  and  eve¬ 
ning  services  on  Sunday,  nor  is  it  necessary 
here,  since  Chapter  I  deals  with  this  topic. 

Nor  will  the  more  than  three  hundred  serv¬ 
ices  mentioned  above  cover  them  all.  There 
are  the  services  of  Holy  Week,  Thanksgiving, 

120 


THE  DIRECTOR  OF  MUSIC 

and  Christmas  (when  it  does  not  fall  on  Sun¬ 
day),  besides  many  other  festival  occasions 
which  should  be  celebrated.  These  special 
services  consist,  or  should  consist,  for  the  most 
part  of  music,  and  the  Director  is  the  one  to 
whom  to  look  for  their  preparation  and  ren¬ 
dition. 

When  analysis  is  made  of  the  whole  situa¬ 
tion,  one  can  readily  see  that  the  mere  selection 
of  the  music  for  the  numerous  occasions  is  no 
slight  task,  and  that  the  necessary  rehearsing 
for  their  proper  presentation  is  an  enormous 
one. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  financial  side 
of  the  burden  of  the  Director  of  Music.  Much 
music  must  be  bought  and  it  must  be  properly 
cared  for.  Singers  and  instrumentalists  must 
be  hired  and  paid.  The  organs  and  pianos 
must  be  kept  in  proper  condition  mechanically 
and  frequently  tuned,  all  of  which  requires  the 
expenditure  of  money.  The  Director  should 
be  given  the  responsibility  of  looking  after 
these  things,  and  certainly  should  be  expected 
to  render  a  proper  accounting  of  his  steward¬ 
ship. 

He  should  be  socially  attractive.  He  can 
do  much  through  social  activity  in  his  or¬ 
ganizations.  Many  church  choirs,  particularly 
volunteer  choirs,  maintain  a  constant  member- 

121 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


ship,  because  of  the  interest  in  their  purely  so¬ 
cial  side. 

All  of  this  may  seem  to  be  asking  too  much 
of  the  Director  of  Music.  But  should  it?  It 
will  be  said  that  he  has  other  work  to  do.  But 
should  he?  He  is  not  paid  enough  to  devote 
all  of  his  time  to  this  work.  But  should  he 
not  be  paid  enough?  If  the  church  is  to  fulfill 
its  mission  and  stand  through  the  storm  of 
attacks  that  are  being  made  upon  it,  will  it  not 
have  to  carry  out  some  such  music  program 
as  has  here  been  suggested?  It  is  only  just  to 
say  that  the  above  suggestions  have  not  been 
presented  merely  as  a  program.  Thoughtful 
leaders  are  becoming  convinced  that  there  is 
a  vital  part  that  music  can  play  in  the  life  of 
the  church  of  the  near  future,  and  that  men 
must  be  secured  who  can  carry  out  a  big  pro¬ 
gram.  One  difficulty  has  been  that  only  the 
musical  qualifications  have  been  considered  in 
the  selection  of  the  Director  of  Music ;  and  the 
fact  that  he  should  be  not  only  a  musician  of 
ability  but  an  organizer  and  administrator  of 
equal  ability  has  not  been  taken  into  con¬ 
sideration  at  all.  It  is  not  an  impossible  thing 
to  find  such  a  man,  but  he  will  have  to  be 
sought.  He  is  not  looking  for  a  job. 

The  small  churches  cannot  expect  to  carry 
into  effect  any  such  program.  They  have  not 

122 


THE  DIRECTOR  OF  MUSIC 


the  money  to  spend  nor  the  equipment  to  make 
its  consideration  feasible.  Something  should 
be  paid  for  the  services  of  the  Director,  and  he 
should  have  supervision  of  all  of  the  music. 
In  most  of  the  smaller  churches  it  is  simpler 
to  secure  a  working  children’s  choir  than  one 
composed  of  adults.  However,  if  more  atten¬ 
tion  were  paid  to  the  possible  social  side  of 
an  adult  choir  in  our  smaller  communities,  it 
might  help  solve  the  problem. 

Here  the  selection  of  good  music  is  even 
more  difficult  than  in  the  larger  churches,  for 
the  reason  that  here  we  do  not  have  profes¬ 
sional  musicians  who  are  competent  to  sing 
any  and  all  grades  of  music.  Selections  have 
to  be  made  that  are  in  keeping  with  the  ability 
of  the  singers  to  perform,  and  much  material 
has  to  be  examined  in  order  that  the  best  re¬ 
sults  possible  may  be  obtained.  This  is  one 
of  the  most  arduous  of  the  duties  of  the  Di¬ 
rector  of  Music  in  our  smaller  churches. 

He  is  dealing  with  a  situation  where  an 
enormous  amount  of  tact  must  be  used  if  he  is 
to  be  successful.  He  must  be  enthusiastic  and 
have  a  real  love  for  his  work,  for  much  of  his 
compensation  will  come  from  the  satisfaction 
that  he  has  done  the  best  he  could. 

If  it  be  a  question  of  selecting  a  well-trained 
musician,  such  as  may  be  found  in  many  of  our 

123 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


small  towns  nowadays,  but  who  is  lacking  in 
qualities  of  leadership,  tactless,  and  socially 
unattractive,  or  one  less  highly  trained  mu¬ 
sically,  who  is  well  liked  in  his  community, 
courteous,  thoughtful,  considerate,  and  a 
leader,  the  latter  should  be  selected  without 
question.  Most  of  those  who  are  interested  in 
the  church’s  music  in  small  places  are  doing  it 
for  the  love  of  it,  and  it  were  far  better  to  have 
a  worshipful  rendition  than  a  merely  artistic 
one.  After  all,  the  music  in  our  churches 
should  not  primarily  be  a  work  of  art — it 
should  be  an  act  of  worship.  In  the  small 
place,  as  well  as  in  the  large  one,  the  Director 
of  Music  should  be  an  aid  to  the  minister  in 
making  the  church  services  rich  in  spiritual 
values. 

Further  study  of  the  problem  of  music  in  the 
small  church  will  be  made  in  another  chapter. 

Note:  In  the  western  section  of  the  Connersville 
District  Conference  on  Church  Music,  April  24  and  25, 
1922,  the  Rev.  L.  C.  Murr  offered  a  resolution  request¬ 
ing  the  next  General  Conference  to  make  the  Director  of 
Music  a  member  of  the  Quarterly  Conference.  This  mo¬ 
tion  was  carried  both  in  the  western  and  in  the  eastern 
section.  When  the  Director  is  a  member  of  the  church, 
this  recognition  and  larger  opportunity  for  usefulness 
evidently  ought  to  be  given.  J.  M.  W. 


124 


CHAPTER  X 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SMALL  CHURCH 

R.  G.  McCUTCHAN 

The  problems  of  the  small  church  of  to-day 
are  receiving  a  great  deal  of  attention  from 
writers  and  talkers  of  all  sorts  and  calibers. 
Much  that  is  written  and  said  is  merely  criti¬ 
cal,  largely  fault-finding.  There  is  little  criti¬ 
cism  that  is  really  constructive.  That  there  is 
a  problem,  and  a  difficult  problem,  all  will  ad¬ 
mit,  but  we  shall  never  get  far  toward  a  solu¬ 
tion  of  the  problem  until  the  critics  stop  criti¬ 
cizing  in  the  way  they  are  now  doing  and  join 
with  others  in  the  churches  in  doing  more  and 
writing  and  talking  less. 

This  chapter  will  deal  with  the  problem  of 
the  music  in  the  small  church  and  will  try  to 
deal  with  it  in  a  constructive  way. 

Just  what  are  the  difficulties  and  just  what 
is  it  that  causes  the  criticism?  Many  of  the 
difficulties  are  more  imaginary  than  real,  and 
much  of  the  criticism  is  unjust  in  that  it  comes 
pretty  largely  from  those  who,  by  lending  their 
aid,  could  do  much  to  better  the  situation. 

125 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Probably  one  of  the  most  serious  problems 
is  that  of  lack  of  trained  leadership.  It  should 
not  be  so,  but  it  is.  Another  is  the  attitude 
toward  the  part  that  music  should  play  in  di¬ 
vine  worship;  and  still  another  the  lack  of 
willingness  on  the  part  of  those  who  have  mu¬ 
sical  ability  to  do  their  part. 

In  the  first  place  we  find,  when  analyzing 
the  situation,  that  most  of  the  leaders,  choris¬ 
ters  they  are  called,  are  usually  those  who 
have  been  doing  the  music  work  for  years. 
Quite  often  they  have  had  little  or  no  training 
in  music,  and  such  ability  as  is  found  is  of 
poor  quality,  and  sufficient  only  to  play  a  little 
on  some  instrument,  usually  the  piano.  Very 
little  thought  is  given  to  the  music  on  the  part 
of  the  leader  and  slight  encouragement  to  the 
leader  on  the  part  of  the  people.  All,  minister 
and  people,  seem  to  feel  that  the  music  is  a  sort 
of  time-filler  for  the  service,  that  it  will  not 
amount  to  much  of  anything,  anyway,  and  they 
simply  let  it  go  at  that. 

The  public  schools  are  now,  and  for  some 
years  past  have  been,  doing  excellent  work  in 
music  teaching.  There  are  few  high  schools  of 
any  standing  at  all  where  at  least  a  fairly  com¬ 
petent  teacher  of  music  is  not  employed.  Chil¬ 
dren  have  been  taught  to  read  music  readily 
and  to  appreciate  that  which  is  good  and 

126 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SMALL  CHURCH 


wholesome  in  music  literature,  particularly 
that  for  the  voice.  Every  school  has  its  good 
singers  and  players.  Here  is  a  source  of  ma¬ 
terial  that  is  not  used  as  much  as  it  should  be. 

High-school  students  by  the  hundreds  are 
now  attending  colleges  where  dozens  attended 
a  generation  ago.  Every  college  worthy  of  the 
name  has  a  department  of  music  manned  by 
competent  instructors.  Many  of  those  who  at¬ 
tend  college  study  music  to  some  extent.  A 
great  many  more  should.  Every  college  has  its 
choir,  and  in  these  choirs  every  year  a  great 
number  of  young  people  receive  valuable  train¬ 
ing  in  church  music.  After  a  few  years  of 
such  training  not  a  few  of  them  have  a  consid¬ 
erable  repertoire  of  suitable  music  for  our 
churches.  In  many  instances  young  people 
from  the  small  churches  are  encouraged  by 
the  minister  to  attend  college.  A  little  fore¬ 
sight  on  his  part  in  suggesting  to  the  student 
that  he  do  some  work  in  music  while  he  is  in 
college,  so  that  he  may  help  in  the  church  work 
on  his  return,  frequently  has  resulted  in  bet¬ 
tering  the  condition  in  the  home  church.  That 
this  has  happened  many  times  we  know. 
Young  people  return  home  from  college  filled 
with  new  ideas  and  with  much  enthusiasm. 
Ask  them  to  help.  Make  them  feel  that  they 
have  a  contribution  to  make,  and  above  all, 

127 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


give  them  responsibility  and  trust  them  with 
it.  They  have  had  an  astonishing  growth  and 
are  much  more  capable  than  when  they  left 
home.  They  left  followers  and  return  leaders. 
Let  them  know  that  you  are  expecting  them  to 
lead  and  you  will  find  a  strong  ally. 

Now,  just  what  to  do  with  the  old,  faithful, 
yet  incompetent  chorister  who  has  been  carry¬ 
ing  on  the  best  she  could  for  years  and  years, 
is  a  problem  that  is  a  problem.  Ministers  in 
many  instances  inherit  musical  situations  that 
are  well-nigh  impossible.  But  if  improvement 
is  to  come,  drastic  changes  will  have  to  be 
made,  particularly  in  the  matter  of  leaders. 
There  is  the  constant  fear  that  something  may 
happen  to  the  new  plan,  that  the  new  leader 
will  not  take  his  responsibilities  seriously 
enough,  and  then  the  whole  thing  will  be  in  a 
worse  state  than  ever.  Usually,  however,  it 
will  not  make  much  difference.  Any  change 
will  be  for  the  better.  The  minister,  in  this, 
as  in  nearly  everything  else  having  to  do  with 
the  church,  will  have  to  bear  the  responsibility 
and  will  have  to  take  the  consequences. 

Just  a  word  here  as  to  the  young  preacher. 
Every  candidate  for  the  ministry  should  study 
music  in  some  form.  Nearly  every  one  has 
some  talent  for  music.  Few  there  are  who  can¬ 
not  at  least  “carry  a  tune.”  And  a  little  study 

128 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SMALL  CHURCH 


of  singing  would  help  a  great  deal.  If  it  did 
nothing  other  than  improve  the  quality  of  the 
speaking  voice,  it  would  be  well  worth  while. 
Yet,  it  would  probably  do  much  more.  The 
ministerial  student  should  have  a  frank  talk 
with  his  instructor,  telling  him  just  why  he  is 
studying  and  what  he  wants.  Such  study 
would  give  him  a  valuable  asset,  certainly  for 
the  first  years  of  his  ministry. 

The  second  point,  that  of  the  general  atti¬ 
tude  toward  the  matter  of  music  in  worship, 
presents  a  serious  problem.  The  minister  can 
do  more  than  anyone  else  to  solve  it.  He 
should  call  attention  to  the  place  of  music  and 
what  it  means.  He  should  look  at  it,  not  as  a 
means  of  filling  up  a  good  part  of  the  time  of 
the  service  but  as  a  means  of  improving  it.  He 
should  consult  with  his  musicians,  telling 
them  in  advance  his  sermon  themes,  and  make 
suggestions  as  to  the  character  of  the  special 
numbers  used.  There  is  no  excuse  for  a  min¬ 
ister  who  does  not  know  what  hymns  he 
wants  to  use  in  each  service,  and  it  is  his  duty 
to  give  the  numbers  of  the  hymns  in  advance 
to  the  one  having  the  music  in  charge.  Fre¬ 
quently  he  wants  to  use  a  hymn  that  is  un¬ 
familiar.  It  is  unfair  to  ask  his  choir  or  pre¬ 
centor  to  sing  it  or  his  pianist  or  organist  to 
play  it  at  first  sight.  Hymn  practice  should 

129 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


always  be  a,  part  of  the  choir  rehearsal.  When 
new  hymns  are  used,  a  word  concerning  them 
does  not  come  amiss.  There  are  annotated 
hymnals  that  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every 
minister. 

Give  every  encouragement  to  congregational 
singing.  It  is  a  signal  way  for  the  congrega¬ 
tion  to  have  a  part  in  worship.  Hymns  are 
to  be  sung — not  listened  to.  It  will  take  some 
effort  to  get  the  people  to  sing,  but  it  can  be 
done. 

The  minister  can  do  a  great  deal  to  better  his 
music  by  insisting  that  the  right  type  of  book 
be  used.  If  only  one  can  be  had,  by  all  means 
make  it  the  Hymnal.  The  usual  objections  to 
the  use  of  the  Hymnal  in  the  small  church  will 
not  stand  when  one  takes  the  time  and  trouble 
to  find  out  the  really  great  wealth  of  material 
it  contains.  The  minister  may  well  use  modern 
methods  in  “selling”  the  Hymnal,  but  he  must 
first  be  well  acquainted  with  it. 

It  is  not  always  possible  to  have  a  choir  in 
the  small  church,  and  some  substitute  must  be 
used.  Probably  the  most  satisfactory  substi¬ 
tute  is  a  precentor.  If  this  is  the  case,  more 
than  the  usual  amount  of  attention  should  be 
given  to  the  announcement  of  the  hymns.  Im¬ 
press  on  the  people  the  need  of  their  singing 
whole-heartedly.  Make  them  feel  that  it  is 

130 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SMALL  CHURCH 


their  part  of  the  service  and  their  duty  to  do 
their  part  to  the  best  of  their  ability. 

Draw  on  whatever  talent  is  available  for 
the  special  numbers.  Do  not  wait  until  the 
last  moment  before  asking  one  to  sing.  Plan 
far  enough  ahead  so  that  adequate  preparation 
can  be  made.  Here,  again,  if  responsibility  is 
given,  it  will  nearly  always  be  respected. 

Insist  on  the  pianist  or  organist  preparing  a 
prelude  for  each  service.  Even  if  he  does  not 
play  very  well,  there  are  plenty  of  simple 
things  requiring  very  little  in  the  way  of  tech¬ 
nical  equipment  that  can  be  used.  If  this  is 
insisted  upon,  it  will  be  given  attention  by  the 
player. 

Make  the  service  somewhat  formal,  espe¬ 
cially  the  morning  service.  One  of  the  most 
distressing  things  about  the  service  of  wor¬ 
ship  in  our  small  churches — and  many  of  our 
large  ones,  for  that  matter — is  its  informality 
and  lack  of  dignity.  The  “Order  of  Public 
Worship”  adopted  by  the  Methodist  Episco¬ 
pal  Church  should  be  followed,  as  it  can  be  in 
all  churches.  In  many  the  Creed  is  not  re¬ 
cited  nor  the  Gloria  Patri  sung.  There  is  no 
excuse  for  this  not  being  done. 

It  is  really  remarkable  how  a  service  may  be 
dignified  by  using  these  three  things  :  a  pre¬ 
lude,  the  Creed,  and  the  Gloria  Patri.  And 

131 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


there  is  no  church  too  small  to  sing  the  chant, 
“All  things  come  of  thee,  O  Lord:  And  of 
thine  own  have  we  given  thee,’7  at  the  time  of 
the  offering.  Even  if  it  is  not  possible  to  have 
an  anthem  sung  or  to  provide  some  special 
number  to  take  its  place,  a  formal,  dignified 
service  may  be  had,  and  it  will  be  found  that 
the  people  will  react  favorably  if  it  is  sincerely 
done.  Don’t  be  afraid  of  being  criticized  for 
being  formal  and  cold.  The  highest  life  al¬ 
ways  uses  form,  and  the  hottest  fire  requires  a 
furnace. 

Sermons  dealing  with  hymns  may  be  pre¬ 
pared  and  delivered  in  a  way  that  will  stimu¬ 
late  interest  in  their  singing.  There  is  abun¬ 
dant  material  available  for  this,  and  its  study 
and  use  frequently  give  new  zeal  to  the  min¬ 
ister  and  new  zest  to  the  singing. 

Special  services  are  ahvays  useful  and 
should  be  held  more  frequently.  In  nearly  all 
of  them  music  plays  a  large  part,  and  oppor¬ 
tunity  may  be  found  to  use  many  persons,  par¬ 
ticularly  young  people  and  children,  in  their 
production.  It  will  be  a  way  to  interest  many 
in  a  church  activity.  Not  enough  is  made  of 
occasions  such  as  Palm  Sunday,  Memorial 
Day,  the  birthdays  of  Washington  and  Lin¬ 
coln,  Arbor  Day,  Emancipation  Day,  Armis¬ 
tice  Day,  as  well  as  the  more  widely  rec- 

132 


MUSIC  IN  THE  SMALL  CHURCH 


ognized  Easter,  Patriotic  Sunday,  Thanks¬ 
giving  and  Christmas  services.  Our  Thanks¬ 
giving  and  Christmas  services  have  come 
to  be  pretty  largely  perfunctory.  Espe¬ 
cially  is  this  true  of  the  one  at  Christmas 
time.  Now  that  the  vogue  of  singing  Christ¬ 
mas  carols  around  our  municipal  Christmas 
trees  and  through  the  streets  of  our  towns  has 
become  so  general,  the  observance  of  this  fes¬ 
tival  occasion  is  being  slighted  in  many  of  our 
churches.  More  should  be  made  of  the  cele¬ 
bration  of  the  occasion  of  the  Saviour’s  birth. 
Have  municipal  Christmas  trees  and  carol 
singing  by  all  means,  for  they  are  admirable, 
but  do  not  let  the  church  allow  this  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  tie  her  children  to  her  slip  away  be¬ 
cause  of  attractions  elsewhere. 

The  suggestions  made  may  be  the  means  of 
enlisting  the  interest  of  those  who  have  ability 
but  are  not  actively  engaged  in  any  church 
work.  It  is  always  wise  to  secure  the  active 
interest  and  help  of  those  having  talent  along 
special  lines.  Young  people,  especially,  need 
to  be  kept  busy.  Give  them  something  to  do. 
Let  them  plan,  after  the  suggestion  has  been 
made  as  to  what  is  wanted.  If  they  are  inter¬ 
ested,  they  will  work ;  if  not,  they  won’t.  Some 
surprising  finds  may  be  made,  and  some  as¬ 
tonishing  results  may  be  obtained. 

133 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


At  any  rate,  let  us  be  doing  something  to 
keep  interest  in  church  affairs  alive.  Let  us 
get  out  of  our  own  little  rut  and  onto  the  paved 
road  of  progress. 


134 


CHAPTER  XI 


MUSIC  AT  FUNERALS 

JOHN  M.  WALKER 

“The  beauty  of  Israel  is  slain  upon  thy  high  places: 
how  are  the  mighty  fallen!”  (2  Sam.  1.  19.) 

“O  my  son  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son  Absalom!  Would 
God  I  had  died  for  thee,  O  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son!” 
(2  Sam.  18.  33.) 

“Therefore  the  Lord,  the  God  of  hosts,  the  Lord,  saith 
thus:  Wailing  shall  be  in  all  the  streets;  and  they  shall 
say  in  all  the  highways,  Alas!  alas!  and  they  shall  call 
the  husbandmen  to  mourning,  and  such  as  are  skillful 
of  lamentation  to  wailing”  (Amos  5.  16). 

“Consider  ye,  and  call  for  the  mourning  women,  that 
they  may  come;  and  send  for  cunning  women,  that 
they  may  come;  and  let  them  make  haste,  and  take  up 
a  wailing  for  us,  that  our  eyes  may  run  down  with 
tears,  and  our  eyelids  gush  out  with  waters.  Yet  hear 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  O  ye  women,  and  let  your  ear 
receive  the  word  of  his  mouth,  and  teach  your  daugh¬ 
ters  wailing,  and  every  one  her  neighbor  lamentation” 
(Jer.  9.  17,  18,  20). 

In  the  agony  of  grief  the  spirit  of  man  has 
turned  to  music.  As  a  medium  for  the  expres¬ 
sion  and  alleviation  of  his  own  sorrow,  and 
for  the  voicing  of  the  sympathy  of  his  friends, 
it  has  come  in  response  to  a  deep  need. 

The  quotations  given  above  indicate  the 

135 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


large  use  made  of  poetry  and  of  music,  some 
of  it  very  crude,  but  some  of  immortal  beauty, 
by  the  ancient  Hebrews  in  their  times  of 
sorrow.  The  wailing  women  mentioned  in 
the  quotations  above  were  “professional 
mourners,  such  as  still  in  Syria  assist  at  funer¬ 
als,  and  either  recite  from  memory,  or  extem¬ 
porize  for  the  occasion,  dirges  constructed  in  a. 
particular  metrical  form,  in  which  the  virtues 
of  the  deceased  are  recounted,  and  his  loss  be¬ 
wailed.”1  Other  peoples,  ancient  and  modern, 
have  made  a  large  use  of  music  in  some  form 
as  a  part  of  the  funeral  service.  Many  noble 
dirges  and  hymns  have  been  composed,  expres¬ 
sive  of  the  thoughts  and  feelings  that  arise  in 
connection  with  death. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  a  disposition  on 
the  part  of  some  to  omit  music  entirely  from 
the  funeral  service  in  the  home,  and  to  use 
only  the  organ  when  the  service  is  held  in  the 
church.  This  inclination  may  have  come  in 
part  from  the  difficulty  of  securing  suitable 
singers,  but  is  doubtless  more  largely  a  revul¬ 
sion  against  an  exaggerated  emotional  ele¬ 
ment,  or  the  unsatisfactoriness  of  the  music  in 
many  of  the  services, 

A  more  wholesome  tendency  has  been  the 
use  of  a  larger  variety  of  hymns,  and  especially 

1  The  Book  of  the  Prophet  Jeremiah,  S.  R.  Driver,  p.  56. 

136 


MUSIC  AT  FUNERALS 


of  hymns  that  emphasize  the  good  cheer  of  the 
gospel  as  over  against  the  sorrow  of  the  bereft. 
The  whole  temper  and  spirit  of  funeral  services 
has  been  undergoing  a  salutary  change  in 
many  communities  in  recent  years,  as  is  indi¬ 
cated  by  the  colors  now  permitted  in  floral 
tributes,  and  by  many  other  similar  items. 
This  change  is  evidently  for  the  better.  Solemn 
and  sad  as  the  office  for  the  dead  must  ever  in 
some  measure  be,  yet  the  Christian  need  not 
and  should  not  sorrow  as  those  who  have  no 
hope. 

It  would  certainly  be  a  serious  error,  how¬ 
ever,  if,  in  turning  from  the  lamentations  and 
crudities  of  former  times  and  of  heathen  coun¬ 
tries,  we  omitted  the  ministry  of  music  entirely 
from  the  funeral  service.  Though  there  may 
be  specially  constituted  people  who  will  prefer 
to  mourn  in  silence  with  no  note  of  song  to 
soothe,  yet  for  the  great  majority  music,  aptly 
chosen  and  rendered,  will  prove  of  great  and 
almost  indispensable  comfort  and  relief. 

I  need  not  speak  of  pipe  organ  music,  for 
that  is  usually  fitting. 

The  Singers 

As  to  voices,  one  difficulty  is  the  securing  of 
any  singers  at  all.  Because  funerals  are  held 
mostly  during  the  week  rather  than  on  Sun- 

137 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


clay,  a  practice  which  deserves  commendation, 
singers  who  might  otherwise  he  available  are 
prevented  by  their  employments.  The  conse¬ 
quence  is  that  sometimes  the  voices  that  are 
to  be  had  are  not  best  suited  to  sing  together. 
Time  for  practice  too  is  limited.  Numbers 
suggested  by  relatives  are  not  always  the  best 
suited  to  the  voices  that  are  to  render  them. 
And  in  addition  to  this  the  house,  when  the 
service  is  held  in  the  home,  is  not  always  most 
favorable  in  its  arrangement  and  provisions 
for  the  music.  Only  the  earnest  effort  to  re¬ 
spond  that  is  usually  made  to  a  funeral  call, 
and  the  familiarity  with  certain  standard  se¬ 
lections,  and  the  quickened  sympathy  of  the 
singers  enable  them  to  measure  up  as  well  as 
they  do  to  the  important  demands  of  this 
acutely  important  service. 

Because  of  the  difficulties  enumerated,  solo¬ 
ists  are  now  frequently  used,  and  with  good 
effect,  when  they  are  competent.  A  good  quar¬ 
tet,  however,  when  one  is  available,  seems  to 
be  about  the  ideal  provision  for  the  funeral 
service. 


Choice  of  Hymns 

In  the  choice  of  hymns,  more  care  than  is 
commonly  used  needs  to  be  exercised  if  the 
best  results  are  to  be  attained.  In  the  first 

138 


MUSIC  AT  FUNERALS 

place  it  needs  to  be  recognized  that  in  our 
Hymnal  we  have  a  rich  treasury  of  varied  and 
appropriate  music,  which,  unfortunately, 
seems  to  be  but  meagerly  drawn  upon  for  so 
important  a  service.  Too  often  the  same  hymns 
are  used  at  service  after  service,  without  due 
regard  to  varying  circumstances.  Perhaps  the 
difficulties  involved  in  a  measure  palliate  this 
blunder.  It  ought  not  to  escape  us,  however, 
that  the  repetition  of  even  the  best  hymns  over 
and  over  again  drains  them  pretty  thoroughly 
of  their  pristine  power.  The  lack  of  special 
adaptation  too  is  a  loss,  not  always  atoned  for 
by  the  grandeur  of  the  great  standard  hymns 
that  may  be  used.  The  using  of  hymns  of  about 
the  same  theme  too  in  the  same  service  is 
usually  a  mistake;  for  example,  “Nearer,  My 
God,  to  Thee”;  “Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul”; 
and  “Rock  of  Ages,  Cleft  for  Me.”  These 
hymns  are  too  great  to  be  used  side  by  side. 
Each  expresses  the  thought  of  comfort  by  near¬ 
ness  to  God  and  to  Christ  with  such  power 
that  the  others  are  unnecessary.  The  dupli¬ 
cation  mars  rather  than  impresses.  A  better 
selection  would  be:  “How  Firm  a  Founda¬ 
tion”  ;  “There  is  a  Land  of  Pure  Delight” ;  and 
“He  Leadeth  Me.”  Each  of  these  directs  the 
thought  to  a  different  phase  of  the  great  Chris¬ 
tian  message.  It  is  a  misfortune  for  the  be- 

139 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


reft  not  to  receive  that  help  which  is  sure  to 
come  from  a  wide  sweep  of  gospel  truth. 

The  great  themes  which  will  bring  most  com¬ 
fort  to  the  sorrowing  are  the  goodness  of  God 
and  his  beneficent  power,  the  glorious  pro¬ 
visions  he  has  made  both  for  the  present  and 
future  weal  of  his  children,  and  the  blessedness 
of  service.  In  the  Divine  alone  can  the  stricken 
heart  find  ease  and  rest,  and  next  to  that  is 
service,  in  whose  paths  the  wounded  spirit  is 
sure  to  find  the  healing  companionship  of  the 
Master.  Let  these  themes  be  presented  in  ser¬ 
mon  and  in  song  in  the  hour  of  grief. 

The  reasons  for  failure  to  make  a  better 
choice  of  hymns  are  not  far  to  seek.  Custom 
binds.  Certain  hymns  have  been  used;  it  is 
easy  and  safe  to  use  them  again.  The  hymn 
book  is  not  as  wTell  known  as  it  ought  to  be. 
Singers  are  not  prepared  to  sing  as  many  of 
its  noble  numbers  as  it  would  be  well  if  they 
were.  Haste  interferes  with  discrimination. 
Forethought  is  not  sufficient  to  prepare  before 
the  crisis  comes.  Imagination  is  not  lively 
enough,  sympathy  not  quick  and  keen  enough 
to  impel  the  chooser  of  the  hymns  to  sense  the 
need  and  skillfully  prepare  to  meet  it.  So  run 
the  explanations.  But  they  all  leave  us  realiz¬ 
ing  how  far  we  fall  short  of  ministering  in  the 
finest  and  most  effectual  way  to  hearts  in  their 

140 


MUSIC  AT  FUNERALS 


times  of  deepest  need  and  greatest  suscepti¬ 
bility. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  the  funeral  serv¬ 
ice  would  usually  best  be  brief.  Two  hymns 
are  frequently  better  than  three.  Just  as 
manifest  is  it  that  simplicity,  and  quiet,  vital 
sincerity,  and  keen-eyed  faith,  and  love  and 
sympathy  are  needed  on  the  part  of  all  who 
would  help  the  soul  in  its  zero  hour. 

And  what  help  is  possible!  Well  is  it  that 
a  more  cheerful  cast  marks  the  funerals  of  this 
present  day.  Tremendous  as  is  the  strain  of 
grief,  greater  is  the  power  of  the  gospel! 
Would  that  the  church  could  mediate  ade¬ 
quately  the  sufficient  grace  of  the  Father  to 
hearts  bereft. 

I  would  speak  a  simple  tribute  to  the  singers 
and  instrumentalists  who  give  their  services  in 
the  time  of  sorrow.  Some  are  paid  and  may  at 
times  very  properly  be.  But  the  majority  are 
not.  And  yet  their  feet  run  in  paths  of  min¬ 
istry,  ofttimes  to  strangers,  and  faint  not. 
Blessings  on  the  head  of  those  who  serve  so 
nobly ! 


141 


/ 


CHAPTER  XII 

A  SKETCH  OF  THE  DEVELOPMENT 
OF  MUSIC  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN 

CHURCH 

R.  G.  McCUTCHAN 

From  the  very  earliest  days  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Church,  singing  and  instrumental  music 
have  held  a  very  important  place  in  the  or¬ 
ganization  of  the  service  of  worship.  Long 
before  the  birth  of  Christ  music  had  its  place 
in  the  religious  services  of  all  peoples.  We 
know  from  Old  Testament  accounts  the  es¬ 
teem  in  which  it  was  held  by  the  Hebrews,  the 
thought  given  to  its  preparation  and  the  care 
to  its  rendition.  All  pagan  peoples  worshiped 
by  means  of  music.  The  only  extant  example 
of  the  music  of  the  ancient  Greeks  which  we 
have  is  a  hymn  to  Apollo. 

The  source  from  which  the  early  Christians 
derived  their  music  has  been  much  in  contro¬ 
versy.  Some  urge  that  it  was  a  direct  inheri¬ 
tance  from  the  Hebrews,  others  that  it  came 
as  a  result  of  the  new  faith,  and  still  others 
that  it  was  borrowed  from  the  Greeks.  The 


142 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


last  contention  is  probably  the  correct  one. 
The  Jews  were  a  scattered  people  after  the 
long  captivity  and  it  is  not  probable  that  the 
new  converts  were  familiar  with  the  tradi¬ 
tional  service  tunes.  The  Jews  too  were  bit¬ 
ter  enemies  of  the  new  sect,  and  few  of  the 
early  converts  were  from  that  faith.  That  it 
entirely  was  a  new  growth  resulting  from  the 
new  religion  is  equally  improbable.  A  mu¬ 
sical  system  does  not  grow  in  a  day,  and  there 
must  have  been  a  foundation  for  their  music. 
It  is  very  probable  that  it  was  borrowed  from 
the  Greeks,  The  language  was  familiar  and 
so  was  the  music.  The  new  followers  of  Christ 
did  not  speak  a  new  language  as  a  result  of 
their  conversion,  nor  is  it  likely  they  sang 
new  melodies  in  the  earliest  days  of  Christian¬ 
ity.  It  is  true,  however,  that  music  owes  its 
greatest  development  to  the  Christian  religion. 

One  of  the  earliest  references  of  the  pagan 
writers  to  the  services  of  the  earlv  Christians 
was  the  remark  of  Pliny  the  younger  when  he 
said  that  they,  the  Christians,  “sang  hymns  of 
praise  to  Christ  as  to  God.”  That  was  as  se¬ 
vere  an  indictment  of  them  as  he  could  make. 

The  church  has  not  only  depended  upon 
music  to  lend  an  importance  to  worship,  but 
music  owes  much,  as  has  been  said,  to  the 
church.  In  fact,  until  the  time  of  the  Trouba- 

143 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


clours,  there  was  little  music  outside  the 
church.  At  least  we  have  no  record  of  any 
other  than  church  music.  All  of  the  fathers  of 
the  church  give  directions  as  to  the  songs 
( “tones”)  to  be  sung  and  as  to  the  manner  of 
singing.  Paul  refers  to  the  manner  in  which 
praises  should  be  sung  when  he  admonishes  his 
hearers  to  “sing  with  the  understanding  also.” 
Some  of  the  finest  hymns  that  we  have  are  a 
direct  inheritance  from  the  Latin  church. 
Adeste  Fideles  is  a  conspicuous  example. 

The  Greek  branch  of  the  Christian  Church 
too  has  contributed  some  excellent  examples. 
Dr.  John  Mason  Neale  has  greatly  enriched 
modern  hymnody  by  his  excellent  and  exten¬ 
sive  translations  of  Greek  and  Latin  hymns. 

It  would  be  absurd  to  attempt  to  write  a 
history  of  church  music  in  one  chapter,  no  mat¬ 
ter  what  its  length.  The  purpose  of  this  chap¬ 
ter  is  to  give  some  insight  into  the  growth  of 
music  in  its  different  phases  under  the  leader¬ 
ship  of  the  Christian  Church.  For  that  reason 
there  has  been  no  attempt  or  desire  to  record 
events  chronologically.  There  are  three  di¬ 
visions  which  may  be  made :  special  vocal  mu¬ 
sic;  instrumental  music;  and  congregational 
singing,  or  the  hymn.  This  is  the  order  in 
which  they  will  be  taken  up,  and  there  seems 
to  be  no  valid  objection  to  this  order.  Cer- 

144 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


tainly,  there  have  been  choirs  and  soloists  from 
the  earliest  days  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
we  know  that  instruments  were  used  also. 
Congregational  singing,  which  most  vitally  in¬ 
terests  the  greatest  number,  has  always  been 
recognized  as  the  ideal  means  of  worship  by 
the  masses  of  the  people. 

1.  Special  Music 

The  “special”  music  of  the  liturgy  of  the 
modern  church,  that  is,  anthems,  solos,  and 
other  vocal  numbers,  is  a  direct  inheritance 
from  the  mass  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
The  musical  part  of  the  mass  has  always  been 
sung  by  a  choir.  The  Lutheran  service  orig¬ 
inally  varied  but  little  from  the  prescribed  Ro¬ 
man  form  and  still  retains  many  of  its  prom¬ 
inent  features.  The  Anglican  service  follows 
it  quite  closely,  although  there  have  been  some 
additions  due  to  various  causes. 

The  form  of  service  in  general  use  in  the 
Church  of  England  was  established,  in  its  es¬ 
sentials,  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 
This  queen  had  great  admiration  for  the  Ro¬ 
man  faith  (she  kept  a  crucifix  in  her  chapel) 
and  was  influential  in  establishing  a  service  as 
nearly  like  that  of  the  Roman  Church  as  pos¬ 
sible.  During  the  reign  of  Mary  many  of  the 
churchmen  fled  to  neighboring  countries,  from 

145 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


which  points  of  safety  they  freely  advised  Eliz¬ 
abeth  as  to  what  should  be  done  in  the  reor¬ 
ganization  of  church  affairs.  Particularly  did 
they  object  to  any  elaboration  of  the  choral 
service  beyond  the  use  of  psalms.  “They  in¬ 
sisted  that  the  Psalms  of  David  in  meter,  set 
to  plain  and  easy  melodies,  were  sufficient  for 
the  purpose  of  edification.”  But  the  queen  and 
her  advisers  thought  that  these  “foreign  di¬ 
vines”  had  already  meddled  enough  and  paid 
no  attention  to  their  suggestions. 

The  anthem,  so  generally  used  in  the  English 
and  non-liturgical  churches,  is  an  English  con¬ 
tribution.  It  has  a  distinctive  and  generally 
accepted  meaning.  In  the  English  service  it 
has  an  appointed  place — to  follow  the  third 
collect — both  morning  and  evening.  An  an¬ 
them  is  simply  a  more  elaborate  composition 
than  a  hymn.  The  words  are  taken  from  the 
Scriptures  or  from  the  liturgy.  Anthems  are 
written  for  solo  voices,  for  solo  and  choir,  or 
for  full  choir.  In  the  English  Church  they  are 
designated  as  Verse  Anthems,  Full  Anthems, 
or  Full  with  Verse,  and  we  have  accepted  these 
designations. 

The  “special”  music  in  the  Roman  and  Lu¬ 
theran  Churches  is  known  by  the  name  of 
“motet.”  It  is  the  counterpart  of  the  anthem. 

The  anthem  has  been  treated  in  a  great 

146 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


many  different  ways  by  writers.  Its  form  is 
varied  and  there  is  no  standard  as  to  its 
length.  All  varieties  seem  to  be  in  equal  favor 
in  our  churches.  Originally  it  differed  but 
little  from  the  psalms  and  hymns  sung  by  the 
congregation.  It  has  developed  by  gradual 
stages  until  now  we  frequently  find  examples 
which  have  attained  large  dimensions.  In  it 
we  find  all  the  devices  of  modern  composition, 
frequently  with  elaborate  organ  part  and  oc¬ 
casionally  with  full  orchestral  accompaniment. 
It  is  peculiarly  and  characteristically  an  Eng¬ 
lish  type  of  composition. 

Dr.  Christopher  Tye  (died  1572),  an  English 
musician  born  at  Westminster  and  brought  up 
in  the  Royal  Chapel,  first  used  the  word  “an¬ 
them.”  He  gave  a  musical  setting  to  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  for  use  in  the  chapel  of  Ed¬ 
ward  VI,  but  the  effect  being  disappointing, 
he  “applied  himself  to  another  kind  of  study, 
the  composing  of  music  to  words  selected  from 
the  Psalms  of  David  in  four,  five  or  more 
parts;  to  which  species  of  harmony,  for  want 
of  a  better,  the  name  of  ‘Anthem/  a  corruption 
of  ‘Antiphon/  was  given.” 

The  recognition  of  the  anthem  as  a  definite 
part  of  the  service  was  fixed  during  Eliza¬ 
beth’s  reign,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  time 
during  the  “Great  Rebellion”  in  England, 

147 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


when  music  was  forbidden  and  service  books 
and  organs  were  destroyed,  it  has  maintained 
its  place  ever  since.  From  the  early  days  of 
the  nonliturgical  churches  it  has  been  recog¬ 
nized  as  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  Order 
of  Worship.  So  nearly  universal  have  been  the 
contributions  of  composers  in  this  field  for  the 
past  four  hundred  years  that  “the  history  of 
the  anthem  can  only  be  completely  told  in  that 
of  music  itself.” 

Some  of  the  most  noted  writers  of  anthems 
were  Tye,  Thomas  Tallis  (died  1585),  Richard 
Farr  ant  (died  1580),  Orlando  Gibbons  (died 
1625),  Pelham  Humphrey  (died  1674,  age  27), 
Henry  Purcell  (died  1695,  age  37),  George  F. 
Handel  (died  1759),  William  Boyce  (died 
1779),  Jonathan  Battishill  (died  1801), 
Thomas  Attwood  (died  1838),  William  Crotch 
(died  1847),  John  Goss  (died  1880),  John 
Stainer  (died  1901),  C.  Hubert  H.  Parry 
(born  1848),  and  a  host  of  others  of  later 
dates. 


2.  Instrumental  Music 

Musical  instruments  have  been  used  in  con¬ 
nection  with  religious  services  from  the  earli¬ 
est  times.  Old  Testament  accounts  tell  us  of 
the  importance  of  instruments  and  of  the  great 
number  and  variety  used.  Undoubtedly  their 

148 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


use  began  in  the  Christian  Church  shortly 
after  its  organization.  We  know  that  Bishop 
Ambrose  introduced  them  into  the  cathedral 
service  in  Milan  in  the  fourth  century.  Of 
their  kind  and  character  we  know  little,  yet  the 
fame  of  this  service  was  widespread,  even 
Saint  Augustine  testifying  to  its  impressive¬ 
ness.  We  may  judge  that  this  was  not  an  in¬ 
novation,  for  the  custom  certainly  must  have 
passed  beyond  the  experimental  stage  to  have 
been  so  satisfactory. 

It  was  only  a  little  later  that  organs  were 
introduced  in  the  churches. 

We  have  little  direct  information  concerning 
the  particular  kinds  of  instruments  (other 
than  the  organ)  that  were  used  in  the  church 
during  the  succeeding  centuries  until  the  six¬ 
teenth  century,  when  we  find  that  it  was  the 
custom  in  England  to  have  the  voices  in  the 
choir  supported  by  stringed  instruments. 
Such  anthems  as  were  used  were  frequently 
said  to  be  “apt  for  viols  and  voices.”  The  in¬ 
struments  always  played  in  unison  with  the 
voices  except  during  passages  where  the  voices 
rested,  the  organ  being  used  only  for  full  ef¬ 
fects.  However,  as  soon  as  the  organ  was  suf¬ 
ficiently  developed  so  as  to  be  capable  of  ex¬ 
pressing  different  color  effects  and  to  have  its 
quantity  of  tone  under  control,  the  necessity 

149 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


of  using  other  instruments  was  not  so  great 
and  their  use  was  largely  abandoned. 

Of  course  accompaniments  for  masses,  ora¬ 
torios,  and  other  elaborate  forms  of  sacred  mu¬ 
sic  have  always  been  written  for  orchestra, 
although  it  has  only  been  since  the  time  of 
Joseph  Haydn  (died  1809)  that  the  orchestra 
has  had  its  present  balance  of  instruments. 

It  should  be  remarked  that  the  use  of  instru¬ 
ments  has  had  a  marked  influence  on  the  char¬ 
acter  of  Protestant  Church  music.  It  is  in 
direct  contrast  to  the  a  cappella  style  sanc¬ 
tioned  by  the  Roman  Church. 

In  America  instrumental  music  has  had  a 
particularly  hard  time  establishing  itself  in 
the  Protestant  churches.  Only  in  recent  years 
has  the  use  of  instruments  become  universal, 
but  with  their  general  acceptance  the  extent  to 
which  they  are  used  depends  only  on  the  re¬ 
sources  of  the  individual  church.  Small 
groups  of  instruments  seem  to  find  most  favor 
and  there  is  a  growing  school  for  the  com¬ 
position  of  suitable  music. 

The  Organ 

The  organ  is  the  recognized  instrument  in 
use  in  our  churches.  This  is  not  only  because 
of  its  ability  to  function  as  an  adjunct  to  con¬ 
gregational  singing,  but  because  of  its  great 

150 


* 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 

variety  of  tone  color,  its  sonorousness,  its  dig¬ 
nity  and  power.  Its  origin  is  clouded  in  much 
obscurity.  It  developed  from  the  Syrinx 
( Pan’s  pipe ) .  As  soon  as  the  principle  of  sup¬ 
plying  compressed  air  by  mechanical  means 
was  discovered,  we  may  say  the  first  real  or¬ 
gan  came  into  existence.  Just  when  and  by 
whom  this  discovery  was  made  is  not  known. 
Many  claims  are  made.  Philo  of  Alexandria 
(c.  200  B.  c. )  mentions  the  invention  of  a  hy¬ 
draulic  organ  by  Ctesibius,  an  Alexandrian 
physicist,  noted  for  his  inventions.  To  what 
extent  it  was  developed  there  we  do  not  know, 
but  it  did  not  come  directly  to  Europe  from 
Alexandria.  The  Greeks  developed  it  and  it 
came  to  Europe  from  Greece  via  Constan¬ 
tinople. 

Certainly,  it  was  known  before  the  Chris¬ 
tian  era.  When  it  was  first  used  for  religious 
purposes  in  the  Christian  Church  is  not 
known,  but  it  was  in  common  use  in  Spain  by 
the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.  These  early 
organs  were  very  crude.  One  in  a  church  of 
nuns  at  Grade,  an  “ancient  Spanish  city,”  was 
described  as  being  about  two  feet  wide,  six 
inches  broad  and  having  thirty  pipes. 

Pope  Vitalian  in  the  year  666  introduced 
one  in  his  church  in  Rome  to  improve  the  con¬ 
gregational  singing.  Apparently,  the  im- 

151 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


provement  was  not  so  great  as  had  been  ex¬ 
pected,  for  it  was  only  a  little  later  that  con¬ 
gregational  singing  was  abolished  and  all  of 
the  music  was  furnished  by  a  choir  of  trained 
singers. 

Organs  were  known  early  in  the  eighth  cen¬ 
tury  in  England.  Constantinople  seems  to 
have  been  the  seat  of  organ  building  at  this 
time.  About  757  Pepin,  Charlemagne’s  father, 
requested  the  Byzantine  Emperor  to  send  one 
to  France.  None  was  known  in  either  France 
or  Germany  until  Pepin  received  the  one  he 
asked  for. 

In  the  ninth  century  Venice  became  a  head¬ 
quarters  for  organ  builders,  and  some  very 
good  instruments  were  produced.  In  this  cen¬ 
tury  they  became  quite  common  in  England 
and  France,  and  in  the  tenth  century  in  Ger¬ 
many. 

We  are  indebted  to  a  monk  by  the  name  of 
Theophilus  for  all  the  information  we  have 
concerning  organ  construction  up  to  the  elev¬ 
enth  century.  Curiously,  this  treatise  was  not 
discovered  until  1847.  It  was  discovered  by 
Robert  Hendrie,  who  translated  it.  Very  little 
actual  progress  was  made  in  that  time,  al¬ 
though  the  fundamental  principles  of  present 
day  organ  construction  were  known.  How¬ 
ever,  it  is  not  surprising  that  it  did  not  de- 

152 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHUKCH 


velop  faster  when  we  realize  how  very  slowly 
the  whole  art  of  music  grew  during  the  first 
ten  or  a  dozen  centuries  after  Christ. 

The  earliest  known  organ  having  a  key 
board  was  built  in  the  cathedral  at  Magdeburg 
late  in  the  eleventh  century.  In  earlier  organs 
the  wind  was  admitted  by  moving  slides  at  the 
mouths  of  the  pipes. 

In  the  twelfth  century  about  the  only  con¬ 
tribution  to  organ  construction  was  to  increase 
the  number  of  keys. 

In  the  thirteenth  century  both  the  Greek 
and  Latin  Churches  forbade  its  use.  The 
Greek  Church  has  not  since  sanctioned  it. 

« 

From  the  fourteenth  century  its  improve¬ 
ment  and  enlargement  has  been  more  rapid. 
Up  to  this  time  it  seems  to  have  been  used 
merely  as  an  accompaniment  to  the  Plain 
Song.  In  the  fifteenth  century  pedals  were 
introduced,  and  in  the  sixteenth  timid  begin¬ 
nings  in  composition  for  the  organ  alone  were 
made. 

During  the  next  century,  the  seventeenth, 
great  strides  were  made,  not  only  in  the  im¬ 
provement  of  the  organ  mechanically,  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  the  swell  being  recognized,  but  be¬ 
cause,  now  that  the  instrument  was  capable  of 
producing  varied  musical  effects,  composers 
were  attracted  to  this  new  field,  which  rapidly 

153 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


widened.  Italy  first  realized  the  possibilities 
in  composition  for  the  organ,  but  the  greatest 
advance  was  made  in  Germany. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  there  was  a  great 
school  of  organ  composition  and  playing, 
which  culminated  in  John  Sebastian  Bach. 
All  composers  were  organists  and  all  organists 
composers.  The  impetus  given  by  Bach  seemed 
to  lag  after  his  death,  and  it  was  nearly  a  hun¬ 
dred  years  before  interest  was  again  shown. 
During  that  period  all  church  music  was  at 
low  ebb,  the  concert  opera  being  then  in  high 
favor.  Another  contributing  factor  to  the  lack 
of  interest  in  the  organ  was  the  development  of 
other  keyboard  instruments  such  as  the 
clavier,  harpsichord  and  piano-forte.  When 
the  interest  again  revived,  about  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  it  was  because  of 
the  tardy  recognition  of  Bach’s  greatness  by 
such  men  as  Mendelssohn  (died  1847)  in  Ger¬ 
many,  and  Samuel  Wesley  (died  1837)  in  Eng¬ 
land.  Samuel  Wesley,  son  of  Charles  Wesley, 
was  a  remarkable  organist.  All  members  of 
the  Wesley  family  were  gifted  musically. 

Since  before  the  time  of  Bach,  Italy  has  not 
been  a  leader  in  developing  the  organ.  Nor 
has  her  influence  upon  sacred  music  been 
marked.  Too  much  influenced  by  the  Roman 
Church,  or  for  other  reasons  which  it  is  idle 

154 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


to  discuss  here,  she  has  allowed  others  to  lead, 
even  in  the  composition  of  masses.  The 
French  and  Germans  have  made  the  greatest 
contributions  in  that  field. 

Germany  made  consistent  progress  in  the 
field  of  church  music  until  after  the  time  of 
Bach,  but  with  the  exception  of  Mendelssohn 
and  some  few  composers  in  the  field  of  Catho¬ 
lic-Church  music,  she  has  contributed  but  lit¬ 
tle  since. 

The  French  have  been  particularly  active  in 
the  field  of  organ  music  since  the  middle  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  and  have  probably 
done  more  to  further  the  mechanical  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  instrument,  as  well  as  in  the  field 
of  composition  for  it,  than  any  other  people. 

The  English  have  probably  been  more  con¬ 
sistent  in  their  attitude  toward  the  music  of 
the  church  than  any  other  of  the  non-Catholic 
countries.  If  they  have  excelled  in  any  line 
of  composition,  it  has  been  in  that  of  music  for 
the  church,  and  in  no  other  country  has  the  art 
of  the  organ  builder  reached  greater  heights. 

In  America  since  1820  organs  have  been 
manufactured.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
many  of  the  early  builders  of  organs  in  Amer¬ 
ica  were  of  English  birth  and  in  the  early  days 
of  their  manufacture  English  traditions  were 
followed.  However,  American  ingenuity  made 

155 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


itself  felt,  particularly  from  about  1870,  and 
since  that  time  the  development  of  the  organ 
in  this  country  has  been  striking.  There  are 
probably  one  hundred  firms  now  manufactur¬ 
ing  organs  here  and  the  output  runs  into  the 
thousands  annually.  The  prosperity  of  the 
country,  the  many  different  denominations 
with  churches  suitable  for  their  installation, 
as  wTell  as  the  demand  of  the  moving-picture 
theaters  for  them,  has  created  a  market  such 
as  the  world  has  not  known  before. 

3.  The  Hymn 

Archbishop  Ambrose,  who  lived  and 
preached  in  Milan  in  the  fourth  century,  was 
the  first  to  compile  a  missal  (hymn  book)  for 
the  use  in  the  church  that  was  to  receive  the 
sanction  of  the  church  fathers.  He  was  fol¬ 
lowed  two  centuries  later  by  Gregory  the 
Great,  who  added  to  the  contribution  of  Am¬ 
brose  and  who  felt  that  the  power  of  the 
Gregorian  tones  was  so  great  that  he  might 
evangelize  the  world  by  their  use.  He  organ¬ 
ized  schools  in  which  singing  teachers  were 
taught  the  correct  rendition  of  the  hymns,  and 
sent  missionaries  into  far  countries  to  conquer 
them  for  Christ  and  the  church  by  means  of 
song.  Charlemagne  was  an  ardent  believer  in 
this  plan,  and  used  to  visit  the  monasteries  in- 

156 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


cognito  so  that  he  might  find  out  for  himself 
whether  or  not  the  singing  was  being  taught 
and  practiced  in  the  traditional  way. 

The  great  writers  of  settings  of  the  mass 
make  an  imposing  list,  and  one  cannot  study 
the  history  of  the  development  of  music  with¬ 
out  being  impressed  with  the  marked  influence 
of  the  church.  All  of  the  great  composers  until 
after  Bach  did  most  of  their  work  in  her  serv¬ 
ice.  The  churches  were  the  music  schools  and 
such  men  as  Josquin  des  Pres,  Okeghem,  de 
Lassus,  Palestrina,  Willaert,  and  their  succes¬ 
sors,  including  Bach  and  Handel,  grew  up 
under  her  tutelage. 

One  of  the  contributing  causes  of  the  Ref¬ 
ormation  was  that  the  music  of  the  people,  the 
congregational  singing,  and  through  that  the 
only  part  that  the  common  people  had  in  wor¬ 
ship,  had  been  taken  from  them  and  the  sing¬ 
ing  had  been  given  over  into  the  hands  of  the 
choir  of  trained  singers.  Luther  insisted  that 
the  communicants  be  given  the  privilege  of 
worshiping  through  song,  and  had  this  de¬ 
mand  been  granted,  it  is  possible  that  most  of 
the  other  difficulties  could  have  been  satisfac¬ 
torily  got  out  of  the  way.  The  overwhelming 
success  of  the  Reformation  was  largely  at¬ 
tributable  to  the  influence  of  the  singing  of  the 
new  converts.  Music  has  played  an  important 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


part  in  all  great  reforms.  What  was  true  of 
the  singing  of  the  Reformation  was  also  true 
of  the  beginnings  of  Methodism. 

Dr.  Louis  F.  Benson,  the  editor  of  a  series 
of  hymnals  authorized  for  use  by  the  General 
.  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
America,  in  The  English  Kymn,  gives  an  ex¬ 
cellent  account  of  the  development  of  the  Eng¬ 
lish  hymn.  He  says  that  the  hymnody  of  the 
Wesleys  was  so  important  that  it  must  be 
given  a  place  “in  the  history  of  religion  itself.” 
He  tells  of  the  importance  of  their  hymns  in 
keeping  alive  the  fervor  of  their  revivals,  and 
says  the  singing  was  more  effective  than  the 
preaching.  The  possibilities  of  hymn-singing 
were  realized  to  the  fullest  by  the  Wesleys. 
He  says,  further,  that  the  Wesleys  greatly  en¬ 
riched  the  stores  of  English  hymns  (Charles 
wrote  more  than  sixty-five  hundred),  gave  out 
new  forms  of  hymns,  and  greatly  affected  the 
prevailing  style.  Charles  Wesley  gave  us  the 
hymn  of  Christian  experience,  and  in  a  marked 
way  influenced  its  literary  content. 

We  can  trace  directly  the  lineage  of  the  mod¬ 
ern  hymn  to  Luther  (and  beyond  him  to  Huss) 
rather  than  to  the  psalmody  of  Calvin.  This 
is  due  to  different  reasons,  one  of  which  was 
the  different  character  of  the  secular  song  then 
current  in  the  countries  of  France  and  Ger- 

158 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


many.  That  of  France  was  frivolous  while 
that  of  Germany  was  dignified  and  had  a  re¬ 
markable  charm.  We  know  this  because  of  the 
folk  songs  that  have  descended  to  us.  Then, 
too,  English  does  not  lend  itself  to  poetic  trans¬ 
lation  of  Hebrew  as  does  French.  This  ex¬ 
plains  the  success  of  Marot  and  the  hold  that 
his  translations  of  the  psalms  had  on  the  peo¬ 
ple.  This  is  in  part  Benson’s  explanation  as 
to  why  there  was  such  an  insistent  demand  for 
hymns  in  preference  to  psalms.  There  was 
still  another  reason.  Isaac  Watts  (1674-1748) 
was  one  of  the  greatest  writers  of  hymns  that 
the  world  has  ever  seen,  and  he  laid  great 
stress  upon  “the  Duty  of  Singing  in  the  Wor¬ 
ship  of  God.”  This  duty  was  neglected,  and  he 
attributes  its  neglect,  as  well  as  the  indiffer¬ 
ence  to  the  singing  which  was  so  evident  in  his 
day  as  well  as  in  other  days,  to  the  exclusive 
use  of  psalms.  Watts’  view  was  that  the  sing¬ 
ing  should  represent  our  word  to  God,  not 
God’s  word  to  us. 

It  is  a  strange  thing  that  practically  all  of 
the  literature  concerning  hymns  has  to  do  with 
their  literary  side.  Some  remarkable  books 
have  been  written  dealing  with  this  subject 
and  there  is  available  a  great  deal  of  material 
having  to  do  with  the  history  and  develop¬ 
ment  of  hymnology. 


159 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Tlie  motive  leading  to  the  writing  of  hymns 
has  always  been  liturgical  or  homiletical 
rather  than  literary.  Not  all  men  have  poetic 
minds,  and  hymns  are  not  written  primarily 
for  those  who  have.  That  is  the  reason  why 
many  of  our  most  effective  hymns  are  not  to 
be  found  in  anthologies  of  poetry.  Watts  had 
a  feeling  of  sympathy  for  the  common  people 
and  wrote  hymns  for  the  “unpoetic  mind.” 

And  the  same  might  be  said  of  Charles  Wes¬ 
ley.  It  never  occurred  to  Wesley  to  write 
poetry.  He  had  the  peculiar  type  of  mind  that 
best  expresses  itself  in  rime.  He  can  be  lik¬ 
ened  to  Schubert,  who  found  that  all  poetry 
that  he  read  suggested  melody.  He  never  read 
verses  that  there  was  immediately  pres¬ 
ent  in  his  mind  a  fitting  melody  for  them.  He 
wrote  incessantly,  and  because  of  that  rare 
gift  he  left  to  the  world  the  more  than  six  hun¬ 
dred  beautiful  songs.  Charles  Wesley  gave  to 
the  world  his  whole  religious  experience  in  the 
form  of  hymn  verses.  He  wrote  a  biography  of 
his  Christian  life  in  his  hymns.  So  we  can  go 
to  the  storehouse  of  verse  left  by  this  co¬ 
founder  of  Methodism  for  an  appropriate  illus¬ 
tration  for  every  phase  of  Christian  life. 
Charles  Wesley  was  the  gifted  versifier,  but 
his  brother,  John,  was  the  master  mind  who 
largely  directed  and  influenced  his  work. 

160 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


John  Wesley  had  great  faith  in  the  efficacy 
of  hymn  singing.  He  had  the  faith  of  Greg¬ 
ory  the  Great,  who,  as  has  been  said,  believed 
if  the  whole  world  could  be  taught  his  “tones” 
exactly  as  he  had  them  arranged  there  need 
be  no  further  effort  toward  its  evangelization 
— the  singing  of  the  hymns  would  be  sufficient. 
Wesley  gave  specific  directions  as  to  the  man¬ 
ner  of  singing,  so  that  “this  part  of  divine  wor¬ 
ship  may  be  more  acceptable  to  God,  as  well  as 
more  profitable  to  both  singer  and  hearer.” 
The  seven  rules  are:  “Learn  these  tunes  be¬ 
fore  any  others ;  sing  them  exactly  as  printed ; 
sing  all  of  them;  sing  lustily;  sing  modestly; 
sing  in  time;  above  all  sing  spiritually,  with 
an  eye  to  God  in  every  word.” 

Books  of  hymns  and  hymn  tunes  that  had 
been  printed  and  used  in  England  were  at 
first  used  by  the  American  Methodists.  John 
Wesley  wished  the  same  liturgical  service  in 
use  in  England  to  be  transplanted  in  the 
American  churches  for  Sunday  use,  and  had  a 
book  called  The  Sunday  Service  of  the  Meth¬ 
odists  of  North  America  printed  in  London  in 
1784.  At  the  same  time  and  place  he  had 
printed  A  Collection  of  Psalms  and  Hymns  for 
the  Lord’s  Day.  These  were  adopted  at  the 
first  (delegate)  General  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Church  of  North  America,  held  in 

161 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Baltimore  in  1784,  and  together  with  the  Disci¬ 
pline  were  published  in  one  volume  in  1785. 

This  book  was  never  generally  used.  A 
Pocket  Hymn  Book  seems  to  have  been  in 
much  greater  favor.  It  was  an  unauthorized 
book  and  was  not  approved  until  1802,  when 
it  was  revised  and  copyrighted  by  Ezekiel 
Cooper,  who  was  appointed  book  steward  in 
1800. 

A  Supplement  to  the  Pocket  Hymn  Book 
was  issued  in  1808,  which  was  compiled  under 
the  direction  of  Bishop  Asbury. 

The  first  authorized  book  of  tunes  was  The 
Methodist  Harmonist,  issued  by  The  Method¬ 
ist  Book  Concern  in  1833.  This  continued  in 
use  until  1849. 

After  the  Southern  Conferences  seceded  in 
1844,  organizing  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  in  1845,  there  was  published 
in  Nashville  their  first  Hymnal  in  1847.  A 
Supplement  to  this  book,  called  Bongs  of 
Zion,  appeared  in  1851. 

The  Northern  branch  in  1848  appointed  a 
committee  to  revise  the  Hymnal  and  the  result 
of  their  work  was  printed  in  1849.  Its  title 
was  Hymns  for  the  Use  of  the  Methodist  Epis¬ 
copal  Church,  Revised  Edition.  This  book  re¬ 
mained  in  general  use  until  1878.  Several 
sets  of  tunes  were  published  to  accompany  it. 

162 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  MUSIC  IN  CHURCH 


Several  unauthorized  hymn  books  were  in¬ 
troduced  into  a  number  of  the  churches,  and 
as  early  as  1872  memorials  were  presented  to 
the  General  Conference  asking  that  a  new 
hymnal  be  issued.  This  was  done  in  1878,  and 
this  book  continued  to  be  used  quite  generally 
until  the  present  Methodist  Hymnal  (1905) 
appeared. 

It  is  significant  that  this  last-mentioned 
book  was  announced  for  publication  in  1902, 
but  the  Committee  on  Federation  asked  that 
its  issue  be  delayed  so  that  the  Church  South 
might  join  in  its  publication. 

The  Church  South  issued  only  one  volume 
other  than  those  mentioned  above.  It  was  the 
Hymn  Booh  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church ,  South,  and  was  printed  at  Nashville 
in  1889. 

While  there  has  been  much  criticism  of  the 
book  in  use  at  the  present  time,  for  some  of 
which  there  is  ground,  and  although  there  are 
demands  now  being  made  that  another  hymnal 
be  issued,  it  is  only  fair  to  say  that  the  present 
hymnal  compares  very  favorably  with  the 
books  of  other  denominations  and  that  it  is 
serving  its  purpose  well.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  it  has  in  too  many  instances  been  sup¬ 
planted  in  many  of  our  churches  by  books  of 
much  less  merit. 


163 


CHAPTER  XIII 


PROMOTING  CHURCH  MUSIC  IN 
GROUPS  OF  CHURCHES 

JOHN  M.  WALKER 

Efforts  have  frequently  been  made  in  local 
churches  and  in  regular  church  gatherings  to 
promote  sacred  music.  Some  local  churches 
have  given  such  constant  and  intelligent  at¬ 
tention  to  the  matter  that  they  have  achieved 
high  levels  in  this  important  branch  of  eccle¬ 
siastical  life.  Local  churches  in  various  num¬ 
bers  have  sometimes  combined  also  to  give 
some  special  compositions  such  as  cantatas 
and  oratorios  which  required  a  larger  number 
of  voices  than  any  one  church  could  furnish. 
The  visits  of  distinguished  musicians  and  spe¬ 
cial  courses  of  concerts  have  also  greatly  stim¬ 
ulated  and  given  direction  to  the  musical 
efforts  in  local  churches. 

In  addition  to  this,  there  have  been  papers 
on  sacred  music  read  and  discussed  in  preach¬ 
ers’  meetings,  and  in  various  ecclesiatical 
gatherings,  such  as  District  Conferences,  Sun¬ 
day  School  Conventions,  Annual  Conferences, 

164 


PROMOTING  CHURCH  MUSIC 


Presbyteries,  etc.,  and  at  such  gatherings  spe¬ 
cial  programs  of  music  have  been  given  and 
the  congregations  have  frequently  been  led  by 
distinguished  leaders  of  song.  Articles  in  the 
church  press  also  and  special  chapters  in  books 
on  Sunday-school  work  and  other  phases  of 
church  life,  and  books  on  the  subject  of  sa¬ 
cred  music  exclusively,  have  made  their  im¬ 
portant  contribution  to  the  object  to  which 
this  volume  is  devoted. 

There  is  one  line  of  procedure,  however, 
which,  strangly  enough,  seems  not  to  have  been 
followed.  That  is  the  holding  of  special  con¬ 
ferences  for  groups  of  churches  such  as  dis¬ 
tricts  and  presbyteries  and  even  for  larger 
units  to  consider  the  subject  of  church  music 
alone,  just  as  in  other  such  gatherings  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  missions,  or  of  Sunday-school  work,  or 
some  other  such  topic  is  given  exclusive  at¬ 
tention.  What  has  been  done  so  far  for  church 
music  in  such  gatherings  seems  largely  to  have 
been  rather  incidental  and  subordinate,  as  if 
the  subject  did  not  deserve  major  attention. 

It  seems  the  stranger  that  such  gatherings 
have  not  hitherto  been  arranged  for,  since  con¬ 
ventions  for  musicians  of  various  units  of  ter¬ 
ritory,  reaching  from  the  city  to  the  State  and 
nation,  have  been  common,  training  schools 
for  evangelistic  singers  have  been  held,  and 

165 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


the  subject  of  church  music  lends  itself  par¬ 
ticularly  well  to  promotion  by  groups  of 
churches. 

The  fact  is  that  music  is  pretty  largely  a  so¬ 
cial  art,  and  invariably  tends  to  draw  people 
together.  Being  a  fine  art  also,  it  requires 
every  help  and  encouragement,  if  it  is  to  be 
brought  to  high  levels  of  merit.  And  being 
well-nigh  indispensable  to  the  ongoing  of  the 
Christian  religion,  it  deserves  to  receive  all  the 
attention  necessary  to  bring  it  to  its  highest 
measure  of  usefulness. 

Music  Conference 

Feeling  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and 
being  oppressed  with  the  low  state  of  the  mu¬ 
sic  in  most  of  the  churches  of  the  district  over 
which  he  was  serving  as  superintendent,  the 
author  of  this  chapter  arranged  for  a  confer¬ 
ence  on  the  subject  of  church  music  for  his 
district  to  be  held  on  February  8  and  9,  1921, 
in  Saint  Paul’s  Church,  Rushville,  Indiana,  of 
which  the  Rev.  C.  S.  Black  was  then  pastor. 
This  seems  to  have  been  the  first  conference  of 
its  kind  held  anywhere. 

The  conference  was  a  great  success.  Expert 
musicians  of  wide  experience,  who  came  as 
special  workers  on  the  program,  expressed 
themselves  as  astonished  at  the  attendance 

166 


PROMOTING  CHURCH  MUSIC 


and  interest,  and  the  report  of  the  meeting 
traveled  throughout  the  nation. 

The  effect  of  it  was  felt  at  once  throughout 
the  district  and  has  continued  to  this  day. 
New  choirs  were  organized,  old  choirs  took  on 
new  life,  a  greater  and  more  intelligent  in¬ 
terest  in  congregational  singing,  and  in  all 
branches  of  church  music  was  awakened,  and 
a  more  careful  attention  was  secured  to  the 
selection  of  song  books.  At  the  time  this  con¬ 
ference  was  held  there  were  in  the  sixty-five 
churches  of  the  district  but  three  choirs  in 
good  enough  condition  to  be  invited  to  take 
part  in  the  sacred  concert  which  was  given  on 
the  first  night.  At  similar  conferences  which 
were  held  the  next  year  thirteen  choirs  were 
invited  and  eleven  took  part. 

The  remarkable  interest  manifested  fiy  the 
people  may  have  been  due  in  part  to  the  nov¬ 
elty  of  the  enterprise;  but  if  that  were  the 
case,  the  novelty  has  not  yet  worn  off,  for  never 
has  there  been  a  more  urgent  desire  for  any 
kind  of  meetings  than  for  the  repetition  of 
these  conferences  from  year  to  year. 

The  results  were  so  evident  and  so  gratify¬ 
ing,  and  the  interest  so  keen,  that  it  seems  only 
reasonable  to  recommend  such  conferences  on 
a  district-wide  scale  or  on  any  scale  to  any 
section  where  the  need  for  better  church  music 

167 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


is  felt  and  the  facilities  for  travel  make  such 
a  gathering  feasible.  The  district  in  question 
is  largely  a  rural  district,  there  being  no  city 
of  more  than  twelve  thousand  inhabitants 
within  it. 

Anyone  who  is  accustomed  to  arranging  for 
public  gatherings  will  hardly  fail  to  make  suit¬ 
able  provision  for  such  a  conference,  but  per¬ 
haps  a  brief  rehearsal  of  some  of  the  impor¬ 
tant  items  to  give  attention  to  may  not  be 
amiss. 


Methods  Used 

First,  there  must  be  a  clear  purpose  for  the 
meeting.  If  it  is  to  be  a  jubilee,  that  is  one 
thing.  If  it  is  to  be  a  school  of  church  music, 
with  inspirational  features  as  part  of  the  pro¬ 
gram,  that  is  another.  The  purpose  of  the 
Connersville  District  Conference  was  dis¬ 
tinctly  practical.  Its  aim  was  to  make  church 
music  better.  Clearly  as  it  was  realized  that 
there  would  be  many  other  delightful  features 
to  such  a  gathering,  such  as  the  fellowships  of 
the  musicians  with  one  another,  the  pure  en¬ 
joyment  of  hearing  some  good  music,  and  so 
on,  the  main  object  was  to  give  church  music 
a  distinct  boost,  and  to  arouse  our  churches  to 
new  interest  in  the  subject.  Of  course  it  was 
realized  that  but  little  could  be  done  in  a  day 

168 


PROMOTING  CHURCH  MUSIC 


and  a  half,  hut  the  hope  was  that  enough  could 
be  accomplished  to  start  things  toward  a  bet¬ 
ter  level.  As  has  been  said,  this  hope  was  in- 
spiringly  realized. 

Since  such  a  meeting  is  to  be  for  musicians, 
some  of  whom  are  likely  to  be  proficient,  the 
program  must  be  such  as  to  command  their 
respect,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  not  beyond 
the  average  music-lovers  of  the  district.  In 
the  case  mentioned,  in  order  to  enlist  the  larg¬ 
est  participation  of  the  musicians,  several 
definite  things  were  done.  Expert  speakers  on 
the  subject  were  engaged  and  time  was  allowed 
for  questions  and  discussion.  The  generous 
cooperation  of  Dean  R.  G.  McCutchan,  of  the 
School  of  Music  of  DePauw  University,  was 
invaluable.  A  number  of  the  best  singers  and 
instrumentalists  of  the  district  were  invited  to 
give  selections  during  the  day  programs.  One 
Sunday-school  orchestra  of  ten  pieces  gave  a 
half-hour  program.  For  the  first  night  the 
best  choirs  and  organists  of  the  district  were 
invited  to  give  a  sacred  concert.  All  who  were 
invited  responded  delightfully,  and  much  as 
has  been  said  about  the  supersensitiveness  of 
musicians,  nothing  of  that  kind  appeared  to 
mar  the  arrangements.  In  addition  to  ad¬ 
dresses  of  sufficient  pith,  and  music  by  local 
musicians  to  attract,  it  was  felt  that  some  of 


169 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


the  'best  talent  within  reach  outside  of  the  dis¬ 
trict  should  be  invited  for  its  inspirational  and 
object-lesson  value.  A  notable  pipe-organist, 
and  probably  the  best  trained  choir  in  the 
State,  were  invited  to  give  a  program  for  the 
closing  night  of  the  conference.  They  did  so 
with  the  most  gratifying  success,  bringing  to 
a  suitable  climax  a  program  every  feature  of 
which  had  been  successful. 

As  to  the  subjects  considered  the  chapters 
of  this  book  will  give  an  idea.  It  will  be  per¬ 
fectly  evident  that  the  division  of  the  general 
subject  can  be  varied  almost  indefinitely. 
Congregational  singing  should  receive  the  con¬ 
spicuous  attention  which  its  preeminent  im¬ 
portance  demands,  as  it  did  in  this  Rushville 
conference,  discussions  and  practice  of  hymns 
occupying  suitable  periods  during  the  day  pro¬ 
grams,  and  some  hymns  being  sung  during  the 
night  concerts. 

Special  attention  was  given  to  the  matter  of 
attendance.  Newspaper  publicity  and  an¬ 
nouncement  from  the  pulpits,  of  course,  were 
used,  but  not  these  alone.  For  it  was  felt  that 
unless  the  musicians  of  the  churches  came  in 
goodly  numbers  the  conference,  however 
others  might  attend,  would  largely  fail.  The 
plan  used  to  insure  the  coming  of  those  most 
desired  was  that  always  recommended  by  ex- 

170 


PROMOTING  CHURCH  MUSIC 


perts  for  such  gatherings,  namely,  the  special 
invitation.  While  the  public  was  invited,  the 
conference  was  considered  a  delegated  affair, 
and  an  invitation  was  sent  through  the  mail 
to  every  organist  and  pianist,  every  chorister 
and  orchestra  leader,  every  member  of  every 
music  committee,  and  through  the  leaders  of 
choirs  and  orchestras  to  every  member  of  their 
organizations,  as  well  as  to  all  the  pastors. 
The  result  was  gratifying  almost  beyond  ex¬ 
pectations.  The  actual  attendance  at  the  day 
sessions,  including  some  who  were  not  dele¬ 
gates,  ran  from  one  hundred  and  forty-seven 
to  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  at  night  some 
could  not  get  in. 

Important  as  they  are,  we  scarcely  need  to 
speak  of  such  details  as  having  the  instruments 
in  the  entertaining  church  in  good  tune,  mak¬ 
ing  adequate  provision  for  the  comfort  of  the 
delegates,  and  having  some  one  to  preside  who 
will  keep  things  going. 

Some  will  inquire  about  the  cost  of  the 
meeting.  That  could  be  kept  low,  because 
nearly  all  who  took  part  in  the  program  do¬ 
nated  their  services,  so  that  the  expenses  were 
chiefly  those  for  printing,  postage,  and  the 
traveling  and  entertainment  of  those  from  out¬ 
side  the  district.  The  total  cost  was  $148.20, 
to  meet  which  $121.09  came  in  by  the  plate  col- 

171 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


lections  at  the  night  concerts,  and  the  balance, 
$27.11,  was  taken  from  a  special  fund  for  such 
purposes  in  the  district.  So  great  was  the  in¬ 
terest  manifested  in  the  meeting  that  men  on 
the  street  the  next  day  asked  if  the  expenses 
had  been  met  and  offered  to  raise  any  balance 
that  was  needed. 

One  matter  we  would  particularly  stress, 
that  the  conference  ought  to  be  made  and  kept 
a  religious  gathering.  It  might  degenerate 
into  a  music  for  music’s  sake  affair,  in  which 
case  it  would  largely  lose  its  value  for  church 
purposes.  On  the  other  hand,  but  a  little  at¬ 
tention  can  make  of  the  conference  not  only 
a  school  of  mechanics,  which  it  ought  to  be, 
but  an  act  of  worship  and  a  preparation  for 
the  most  vital  religious  service. 

During  the  second  year  there  were  two  con¬ 
ferences  held :  one  for  the  western  half  of  the 
district  in  First  Church,  Shelbyville,  the  Rev. 
E.  H.  Boldrey,  pastor;  and  the  other  for  the 
eastern  half,  in  First  Church,  Connersville, 
the  Rev.  J.  W.  McFall,  pastor.  Both  were  very 
successful.  It  is  planned  to  carry  the  confer¬ 
ences  still  closer  to  the  local  churches,  holding 
them  for  counties,  and  even  for  smaller  units. 
The  smaller  units  may  not  make  feasible  so 
elaborate  a  program  as  the  larger  units,  but 
will  altogether  reach  a  greater  number  of  peo- 

172 


PROMOTING  CHURCH  MUSIC 


pie,  and  bring  into  play  more  of  the  local 
talent. 

In  the  opposite  direction  we  see  no  reason 
why  conferences  for  larger  units  than  districts, 
such  as  groups  of  districts,  States  and  areas, 
may  not  be  properly  held  for  this  important 
object. 

If  it  be  said  that  there  is  danger  of  overdoing 
the  matter,  the  answer  is  that  there  is  always 
such  danger  in  anything  undertaken,  but  it 
can  be  guarded  against  in  this  interest  as 
readily  as  in  other  things.  And  since  music  is 
not  in  competition  with  other  features  of  the 
church,  but  a  well-nigh  indispensable  coadju¬ 
tor  of  them  all,  the  cultivation  of  this  factor 
would  be  more  likely  than  otherwise  to  whet 
the  interest  in  all  the  rest. 

Music  richly  deserves  greater  recognition 
and  cultivation  as  a  medium  for  the  expression 
of  the  devout  spirit,  as  a  means  of  fellowship, 
and  as  a  force  for  the  building  of  God’s  king¬ 
dom  in  the  earth;  and  in  this,  as  in  all  else, 
we  shall  make  better  headway  when  we  join 
hands  for  the  achieving  of  the  purpose  that 
is  or  should  be  common  to  all. 


173 


CHAPTER  XIV 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 

In  preparing  this  volume,  the  editor  wrote 
to  many  leaders  of  choirs,  organists,  and  oth¬ 
ers  as  to  what  they  were  doing,  and  received 
answers,  some  of  which  were  so  interesting 
that  it  is  thought  wise  to  include  them  in  whole 
or  in  part.  Doing  this  is  thoroughly  in  line 
with  the  purpose  of  this  volume,  to  give  prac¬ 
ticable  suggestions  for  the  average  church. 

From  the  Home  Field 
1 

Indianapolis. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Walker, 

Rushville,  Ind. 

Dear  Mr.  Walker: 

Whoever  referred  you  to  me  as  an  authority 
on  church  music  gave  you  the  wrong  address, 
and,  I  fear,  led  you  into  a  blind  alley.  How¬ 
ever,  your  letter  reached  me  and  I  gladly  re¬ 
ply,  although  the  answer  will  have  to  concern 
itself  chiefly  with  negations. 

In  the  first  place,  our  church  membership  is 

174 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


composed  largely  of  people  who  had  German 
ancestors.  You  know  Germans  are  a  singing 
nation,  whatever  else  may  be  said  about  them. 
Next,  I  happen  to  hold  two  offices  that  work 
harmoniously  as  regards  the  promotion  of 
church  music — director  of  the  choir  and  su¬ 
perintendent  of  the  Sunday  school.  I  do  not 
do  anything  except  work  at  those  jobs  in  the 
easiest  way  possible  and  let  the  results  take 
care  of  themselves.  The  great  surprise  is  that 
anyone  should  have  thought  it  worth  mention¬ 
ing. 

Our  choir  is  democratic.  We  have  no  or¬ 
ganization,  nobody  is  paid.  Since  we  all  work 
on  the  same  footing  everybody  feels  the  same 
responsibility.  We  do  not  rehearse  during 
July  and  August.  For  the  remainder  of  the 
year  there  is  seldom  an  absence  from  rehearsal. 
The  organist,  best  tenor,  and  director  have  not 
failed  once  in  years.  Under  those  conditions 
work  counts.  We  begin  at  eight  and  close  at 
nine.  I  think  this  promptness  has  much  to  do 
with  our  attendance.  We  sing  during  that 
hour.  First  we  perfect  the  anthems  for  the 
following  Sunday.  Then  we  do  general  re¬ 
hearsing.  That  plan  keeps  us  ahead  of  our 
program.  We  never  agonize  over  Easter, 
Christmas,  or  song  services.  Such  music  is 
put  into  rehearsal  far  enough  ahead  to  make 

175 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


special  rehearsals  unnecessary.  One  other 
thing  I  try  to  be  careful  about — that  is,  to  suit 
the  songs  to  the  singers  both  as  regards  chorus 
and  solo  work.  Simple  music  well  done  is  far 
more  effective  than  a  vain  striving  after  some¬ 
thing  more  elaborate.  Usually  a  feeling  that 
they  are  not  producing  the  thing  striven  for 
causes  the  attendance  to  fall  off.  So  I  look 
for  simple  music.  I  personally  order  all  of  it 
and  make  the  selections  for  the  public  services. 
However,  I  try  never  to  force  an  anthem  on 
the  choir  if  more  than  one  singer  dislikes  it. 
It  is  laid  aside  and  brought  out  again  when 
growth  in  appreciation  or  some  special  adapta¬ 
bility  makes  it  welcome  to  all. 

We  are  rather  faithful  subscribers  to  the 
Lorenz  choir  magazine,  The  Choir  Herald,  but 
we  use  other  music  of  similar  difficulty. 

For  the  Sunday  school  I  select  the  songs 
that  assist  in  driving  home  the  lesson  of  the 
day,  endeavoring  to  use  one  new  song  each 
Sunday,  never  more  than  one.  After  the  new 
song  is  played  through  we  practice  the  chorus 
by  having  a  contest  between  different  depart¬ 
ments  of  the  school.  By  the  time  each  section 
has  sung  it  once,  everybody  knows  it  and  no 
one  is  tired.  (Our  school  meets  with  all  de¬ 
partments  together  for  the  opening  service.) 

One  sacred  rite  that  must  be  performed  be- 

176 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


fore  the  classes  retire  for  instruction  is  the 
song  by  the  beginners.  Of  course  they  know 
few  songs,  but  they  surely  like  to  sing.  One 
Saturday  a  little  girl  saw  me  in  the  street  car 
and  called  out  that  she  had  practiced  all  week 
so  she  could  sing  the  next  morning.  Other 
similar  cases  are  of  frequent  occurrence.  How¬ 
ever,  it  is  difficult  to  have  a  solo  because  if 
one  comes  forward  to  sing  several  others 
usually  join  her  before  she  is  fairly  started. 
W e  had  one  rather  peculiar  case.  A  very  timid 
three-year-old  required  the  presence  of  her 
mother  to  keep  her  in  the  Beginners’  room. 
One  Sunday  the  father  told  me  she  had  prac¬ 
ticed  for  two  weeks  on  a  new  song.  To  my 
great  surprise  she  came  forward  by  herself 
and  moved  her  lips  while  the  pianist  played. 
From  that  time  on  she  never  caused  a  bit  of 
trouble.  In  fifteen  years  from  now  I  hope 
these  singers  will  not  have  to  be  coaxed  to  sing 
in  the  choir. 

Once  a  month  we  forge  a  link  to  bind  to¬ 
gether  the  children  and  the  church.  On  that 
Sunday  the  pupils  in  the  graded  department 
sing  a  number  out  of  the  Sunday-school  book 
in  place  of  the  anthem  by  the  choir.  The  song 
is  selected  at  the  previous  meeting  of  the  Ju¬ 
nior  League.  The  first  month  I  suggested  a 
suitable  song,  and  since  then  I  have  insisted 

177 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


upon  being  surprised.  At  least,  I  have  never 
been  disappointed.  These  pupils  are  gaining 
poise  and  confidence  as  well  as  skill.  Conse¬ 
quently,  the  problem  of  finding  material  for 
special  programs  is  made  an  easy  one. 

As  for  the  congregational  singing,  everybody 
is  doing  it.  There  is  no  effort  made  to  gain 
that  end.  Some  sing  well,  some  sing  poorly, 
but  all  sing.  It  is  probably  a  result  of  na¬ 
tional  traditions. 

I  do  not  expect  that  my  letter  will  be  of  any 
assistance  to  you  in  your  study  of  music  in  our 
churches.  My  only  rule  as  regards  music  is, 
“Do  what  the  director  asks.”  In  that  spirit 
I  have  done  what  you  asked,  and  do  it  gladly, 
even  if  the  doing  has  helped  none  at  all. 

Very  truly, 

Dorothy  Wenner. 


2 

Long  Branch,  New  Jersey. 

In  Sunday  school  an  orchestra  is  the  special 
feature. 

In  the  church,  we  have  a  large  chorus  choir 
— some  thirty  members,  in  white  surplices, 
which  is  more  simple  in  appearance  if  you  have 
a  larger  choir ;  no  hats.  Also  a  younger  choir, 
of  boys  and  girls,  about  thirty  in  number, 

178 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


sitting  in  the  gallery  in  the  rear  of  the  room. 
They  have  a  part  in  each  morning  service. 

These  are  our  chief  features — occasionally 
having  a  musical  Sunday  evening,  with  a  short 
address  by  the  pastor. 

Very  truly  yours, 

W.  Elwell  Lake. 

3 

New  Castle,  Pennsylvania. 

Having  'been  in  the  choir  work  for  about 
thirty  years,  I  find  the  best  results  are  secured 
and  the  music  best  liked  by  the  people  is  given 
by  a  chorus  choir.  To  keep  a  chorus  choir  to¬ 
gether  is  no  small  job.  The  leader  must  be  a 
person  of  ability  and  tact.  We  usually  get 
our  new  members  from  the  Sunday  school, 
always  being  on  the  lookout  for  talent  among 
the  young  people.  Our  choir  is  composed  of 
a  soloist  for  each  part,  and  the  chorus.  This  I 
think  is  the  ideal  choir,  although  not  possible 
in  poor  churches.  A  Sunday-school  choir  is  a 
good  thing  to  develop  interest  and  ability. 

Very  truly  yours, 

C.  P.  Reynolds. 


4 

Asbury  Park,  New  Jersey. 
We  make  a  specialty  in  music,  especially  in 

179 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


summer  when  the  crowds  are  here.  We  spend 
about  $100  per  Sunday  for  this  purpose.  We 
have  a  large  vested  choir,  paid  quartet,  and  a 
men’s  glee  club.  Sunday  mornings,  the  Glee 
Club  sings,  and  in  the  evening  the  chorus 
choir.  The  quartet  sings  at  both  services.  We 
also  have  violin,  organ,  and  piano. 

Nothing  much  special  in  Sunday  school. 
Orchestra  helps  some  there. 

Sincerely, 

F.  A.  DeMaris. 


5 


Warren,  Indiana. 

The  music  of  our  church  is  under  the  gen¬ 
eral  supervision  of  a  carefully  selected  Music 
Committee.  The  membership  represents  the 
various  organizations  of  the  church. 

The  Sunday-school  pianist  and  chorister  are 
appointed  by  the  Music  Committee  at  the  re¬ 
quest  of  the  Sunday  School  Board.  (This 
thing  the  pastor  requires. )  The  Sunday- 
school  orchestra  has  a  Manager  and  a  Direc¬ 
tor  who  are  elected  by  the  Music  Committee. 
Upon  them  very  largely  depends  the  success 
of  the  orchestra.  The  Manager  looks  after  the 
music,  makes  arrangements  for  special  oc¬ 
casions,  selects  and  rejects  the  personnel  of  the 

180 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


orchestra.  The  Director  simply  directs  the 
practice  and  the  playing  in  public. 

The  choirs  also  have  a  Manager  and  Direc¬ 
tor — junior  and  senior.  The  senior  choir  sings 
at  the  morning  service  and  the  junior  at  the 
evening  service. 

One  of  the  most  important  things  in  addi¬ 
tion  to  good  singers  and  good  managers  and 
directors  is  to  have  a  pastor  who  knows  enough 
about  the  proper  value  of  music  as  a  legitimate 
and  a  necessary  part  of  religious  development, 
that  he  may  have  his  hand  on  the  music  throt¬ 
tle  all  the  time  and  exercise  real  skill  as  a  gen¬ 
uine  engineer  of  all  the  musical  activities  of 
the  church. 

The  general  musical  assets  of  the  church 
will  soon  become  a  liability  if  the  pastor  does 
not  correlate  them  and  constantly  give  direc¬ 
tion  for  their  improvement. 

Sincerely, 

R.  V.  Johnson. 


6 

Findlay,  Ohio. 

I  have  been  in  church  choir  service  for  a 
good  many  years,  and  yet  scarcely  know  just 
what  to  say  that  may  be  of  service  to  you.  I 
have  sung  in  quartet  choirs  and  in  chorus 
choirs,  and  have  directed  both,  and  I  find  that 

181 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


a  good  chorus  choir  answers  the  purpose  bet¬ 
ter  than  a  quartet,  for  several  reasons:  It 
creates  a  department  of  service,  and  presents 
a  field  of  usefulness  for  young  people  of  mu¬ 
sical  talent ;  it  allows  of  greater  variety  in  the 
music  both  as  to  selections  and  as  to  combina¬ 
tions  of  voices;  and  of  greater  power  and 
grandeur,  because  of  the  added  volume  of 
many  voices.  In  such  a  choir  many  combina¬ 
tions  may  be  formed — duets,  male  quartets, 
mixed  quartets,  trios,  and  solos,  provided,  of 
course,  that  you  have  a  good  chorus,  and  a 
good  director  who  knows  how  best  to  marshal 
and  to  present  his  forces. 

As  to  my  own  individual  methods  in  choir 
work,  they  are  as  follows:  I  have  always 
taken  the  work  seriously,  not  as  a  “side  line,” 
as  many  do.  I  believe  it  to  be  a  means  of 
presenting  the  gospel  and  a  part  of  God’s  wor¬ 
ship.  It  is  not  simply  and  solely  music.  I 
pay  especial  attention  to  the  text  of  the  an¬ 
thems,  etc.,  which  we  sing,  and  make  both 
words  and  music  work  out  effectively.  I  never 
put  on  any  music  that  is  only  half  prepared, 
and  I  coach  and  censor  everything  that  is  sung, 
and  never  feel  satisfied  until  I  have  done  all 
I  can  to  make  it  a  success. 

I  use  only  good  music  by  our  best  church 
composers.  Good  music  is  not  necessarily 

182 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


complicated  or  difficult,  however.  Church  mu¬ 
sic  should  not  be  too  elaborate  at  the  regular 
service.  At  concerts  more  liberty  may  be 
granted.  I  look  out  for  talent  among  the 
young  people  and  develop  them  gradually  in 
the  choir,  so  that  there  is  always  a  new  group 
coming  on  to  replenish  the  choir. 

We  give  usually  two  or  three  sacred  concerts 
a  year  and  use  cantatas  and  oratorios  often  for 
these,  sometimes  with  augmented  choir  and  or¬ 
chestra.  One  of  the  most  impressive  concerts 
we  ever  gave  was  last  Christmas,  the  cantata 
“The  Coming  of  the  King,7’  by  Dudley  Buck. 
A  good  reader  gave  the  narrative  parts  and  the 
choir  sang  the  other  parts,  and  all  done  con¬ 
secutively  without  halting  or  delay  made  a 
very  impressive  and  unique  program. 

As  to  our  voices,  I  have  on  an  average  six¬ 
teen  voices.  It  varies  from  fourteen  to  twenty. 
We  have  a  number  of  good  soloists,  as  I  am  a 
voice  teacher  and  develop  the  voices  and  pre¬ 
pare  them  for  the  work.  I  have  two  rules  only, 
but  these  I  insist  upon — viz.,  notification  of  in¬ 
tended  absence,  and  no  wasted  time  during 
choir  rehearsal.  I  must  know  what  the  per¬ 
sonnel  of  my  choir  is  to  be  at  each  service,  so 
I  can  arrange  my  choir  accordingly,  and  can 
supply  substitutes  in  case  of  need.  Thus  I 
am  never  “left  in  the  lurch”  and  the  music  is 

183 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


uniformly  good.  As  to  the  Sunday-school  mu¬ 
sic  I  cannot  say  much.  It  is  not  my  depart¬ 
ment,  but  my  own  private  opinion  is  that  we 
have  entirely  too  much  shoddy  Sunday-school 
music — dance-tune  ditties  and  doggerel  verse 
have  no  place  in  God’s  service,  and  produce  er¬ 
roneous  impressions  upon  young  minds, 

I  hope  I  have  answered  your  inquiries  in 
the  matter  and  that  you  will  pardon  the  use  of 
so  much  of  my  personal  ideas  in  its  expression. 

I  am  very  sincerely  yours  in  the  cause, 

Adelaide  Kelly. 

I  neglected  to  say  that  I  do  not  face  my 
choir  or  use  a  baton  at  the  regular  Sunday 
service.  I  consider  it  unnecessary  and  it  de¬ 
tracts  from  the  impression  produced,  makes 
it  more  of  an  exercise  and  a  less  spontaneous 
expression. 

With  a  choir  of  the  size  I  have,  the  training 
can  be  such  that  the  baton  is  not  needed.  I 
sing  with  them  and  direct  unobtrusively  with 
voice  and  finger  behind  my  book  or  music. 

At  concerts  with  augmented  choir  I  use  the 
baton.  Last  Easter  we  combined  the  choirs 
of  the  city  in  one  large  chorus  and  gave  an 
oratorio.  With  soloists  from  out  of  the  city, 
it  was  a  new  venture  and  was  very  successful. 

A.  K. 


184 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


7 

Menominee,  Wisconsin. 

In  reply  to  your  inquiry  as  to  the  method 
we  use  to  stimulate  music  in  the  church,  would 
say  that  we  have  no  secret  at  all.  We  have  a 
large  chorus  choir,  mostly  amateurs,  but  have 
a  trained  leader  and  a  few  who  are  capable  of 
special  work. 

I  think  the  musical  interest  is  created 
through  sacred  musical  recitals  given  oc¬ 
casionally,  and  we  aim  to  have  a  social  evening 
once  a  month  for  the  choir. 

We  are  always  on  the  lookout  for  new  talent, 
some  of  which  is  not  at  all  promising  at  first 
but  develops  finely. 

The  chorus  choir  is  a  decided  success,  for 
the  reason  that  each  member  has  a  number  of 
friends,  who  come  to  the  service  through 
friendship  for  them.  We  have  found  a  quar¬ 
tet,  however  capable,  does  not  draw  like  a 
chorus  choir.  The  chorus  choir  affords  an  op¬ 
portunity  to  have  a  variety,  and  variety  ap¬ 
peals  to  the  public;  and  through  this  variety 
you  work  in  all  of  them,  and  the  very  fact  that 
new  voices  come  into  play,  though  not  always 
so  competent,  draws. 

A.  R.  Klein. 


185 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


8 

CONNERSVILLE,  INDIANA. 

In  the  twenty-two  years  I  have  spent  in  the 
work  I  find  some  very  valuable  and  interesting 
points  to  be  considered,  and  certain  standards 
to  be  maintained  if  one  would  be  a  successful 
chorister. 

Above  all  he  should  be  a  Christian  and 
preferably  a  member  of  the  church  where  em¬ 
ployed,  a  musician,  and  able  to  sing.  He 
should  be  tactful  and  possessed  with  a  person¬ 
ality  capable  not  only  of  winning  members  for 
the  choir  but  of  holding  them  as  well. 

Then  the  personnel  of  the  choir  is  a  great 
factor  in  producing  the  desired  results.  In  a 
volunteer  choir  anyone  who  can  sing  is  admis¬ 
sible,  but  much  care  and  caution  should  be  ex¬ 
ercised,  as  some  people  have  more  enthusiasm 
than  voice,  and  my  rule  is — any  member  of  my 
choir  is  at  liberty  to  suggest  a  name  to  me  as 
suitable  and  I  do  the  investigating  and  testing. 

The  choir  should  at  all  times  be  well  bal¬ 
anced  as  to  the  different  parts — soprano  and 
alto,  two  thirds  ;  tenor  and  bass,  one  third.  I 
find  that  Friday  evening  is  the  best  evening 
of  the  week  to  hold  rehearsals ;  7 :30  the  hour. 
I  have  always  made  it  a  point  to  be  at  the  re¬ 
hearsal  first,  ready  to  greet  the  members  as 

186 


NOTES  FKOM  THE  FIELD 


they  arrive  and  having  all  music  ready  to  pass 
out  as  soon  as  the  hour  for  rehearsal  has  come. 
Keep  two  numbers  ahead  at  all  times.  This 
way  I  can  always  tell  what  my  special  numbers 
will  be,  for  two  Sundays  ahead.  Great  care 
should  be  given  to  the  selecting  of  the  special 
numbers. 

“Plan  your  work  and  work  your  plan.”  I 
never  have  found  it  advisable  to  go  before  a 
choir  and  say,  “Well,  what  shall  we  sing  next 
Sunday  morning?”  By  selecting  snappy  an¬ 
thems  or  deeply  spiritual,  always  having  at 
least  one  new  one  to  work  on,  keeping  the 
choir  singing  for  an  hour  or  an  hour  and  a 
half,  then  dismissing,  the  attendance  is  always 
good.  Always  have  special  cantatas  for  Chris- 
mas  and  Easter ;  for  Thanksgiving,  if  possible ; 
and  on  Sunday  night,  sacred  musicales  or 
something  of  a  special  nature  to  work  to,  and 
your  interest  is  kept  up.  Another  good  scheme 
is,  as  soon  as  your  choir  is  capable,  use 
choruses  from  the  big  oratorios  and  canons, 
etc.  Then  for  my  soloist  I  have  one  sing  every 
Sunday  morning  until  all  around;  then  have 
quartet,  then  double  quartet.  My  policy  is, 
sing  good,  simple  music,  but  sing  it  well. 

All  choirs  are  not  and  cannot  be  handled 
exactly  the  same,  for  different  people  have 
different  dispositions.  But  in  the  main,  there 

187 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


is  a  common  ground  on  which  we  can  all  meet, 
that  is,  Christianity.  Couple  a  Christian 
spirit  with  good  common  horse  sense  and  you 
seldom  have  any  trouble. 

In  churches  large  enough  and  financially 
able,  it  is  well  that  the  chorister,  organist,  and 
quartet  be  remunerated  for  their  services. 
Then  build  your  choir  around  them.  Nowa¬ 
days,  more  people  are  studying  music.  This 
means  an  outlay  of  time  and  money,  and  why 
not?  If  they  prepare  themselves  for  the  work 
and  are  faithful,  why  not  pay  them?  This  is 
also  an  incentive  for  some  one  else  to  prepare 
for  the  same  wTork  and  be  on  a  waiting  list. 

Finally,  I  never  go  before  a  choir  with  a 
grouch  or  a  reprimand.  If  you  have  a  grouch, 
keep  it  to  yourself;  and  if  a  fault  overtakes  a 
member,  talk  to  him  privately.  Above  all,  be 
kind  at  all  times — that  wins.  At  the  close  of 
a  service  or  musicale  I  always  make  it  a  point 
to  thank  the  choir  and  give  a  word  of  apprecia¬ 
tion.  You  know  folks  love  flowers,  and  if  there 
is  any  one  organization  in  the  church  that 
should  be  encouraged  it  is  the  Old  Church 
Choir — the  artillery,  if  you  please. 

.Very  truly  yours, 

L.  V.  Hegwood, 

Captain  of  the  Artillery. 


188 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


9 

Findlay,  Ohio. 

In  the  Sunday  school  we  have  cut  out  the 
orchestra  and  use  only  the  piano.  So  many 
times  the  orchestra  plays  marches  of  a  rag¬ 
time  character,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  with 
that  kind  of  music  ringing  in  their  ears  as  they 
go  to  their  classes  the  young  people  are  not 
in  the  right  spirit  to  get  the  most  good  from 
the  lesson. 

Nile  E.  Gibson. 

10 

Freehold,  New  Jersey. 

Our  lecture-musical  course  is  to  develop  the 
cultural  aspect  of  church  and  community  life. 
Our  singers,  lecturers,  and  musicians  are  en¬ 
gaged  with  this  understanding. 

Walter  Frank  Atkinson. 

11 

First  Church,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

We  have  a  Sunday-school  orchestra  of  fifty 
members,  and  once  a  month  we  give  an  eve¬ 
ning  of  music  for  Sunday  night,  with  orches¬ 
tra,  organ,  quartet,  solos,  and  chorus. 

John  A.  Van  Pelt. 

In  this  great  church,  the  choir  is  under  strict 

189 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


rules,  and  has  corresponding  advantages  and 
success.  The  application  blank  used  is  as 
follows : 

I  hereby  make  application  for  membership  in  the 
vested  choir  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
Los  Angeles. 

I  resolve  to  further  the  cause  of  Christ  at  all  times 
and  to  use  my  voice  to  this  end.  If  accepted  as  a  mem¬ 
ber,  I  shall  do  all  in  my  power  to  uphold  the  dignity, 
musical  standard  and  the  traditions  of  the  choir  organ¬ 
ization.  Furthermore,  I  realize  my  responsibility  to  the 
church.  Upon  leaving  the  organization,  I  agree  to  hand 
in  a  written  resignation  stating  cause  for  leaving. 

Telephone  No . . .  Signed  . . 

Voice  .  Address . 

State  previous  Choir  Experience . 


Musical  Education.  Voice:  . Years . Mos. 

Piano: . Yrs . Mos.  Harmony:  . Yrs . Mos. 

Other  instruments:  . Yrs . Mos.  Do  you  aspire 

to  solo,  quartet,  or  directing  work  in  churches?  If  so, 
would  you  be  available  for  a  paid  position  in  case  you 
filled  the  requirements?  Frequent  calls  of  this  nature 
come  to  the  director. 


12 

Washington,  D.  C. 

One  way  that  I  am  increasing  interest  in  a 
knowledge  of  the  great  hymns  of  our  church  is 
by  holding  a  twTenty-five-minute  hymn  pro¬ 
gram  which  includes  various  selections  from 
the  church  Hymnal.  I  do  this  in  connection 
with  my  Sunday  School  Institute  work  and 

190 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


also  in  conjunction  with  Sunday-evening  serv¬ 
ices  when  I  preach.  I  use  such  themes  as  the 
following  for  the  selection  of  the  hymns : 

1.  The  Great  Musicians  of  the  Hymn  Book. 

2.  The  Great  Authors  of  the  Hymn  Book. 

3.  Hymns  of  the  Martyrs. 

4.  Hymns  of  the  Early  Church. 

5.  Hymns  written  because  of  extraordinary 
events — and  so  on. 

In  connection  with  the  institutes,  I  give  at 
least  one  period  to  the  subject  of  music  and 
worship  in  the  church  school,  usually  demon¬ 
strating  the  use  of  good  music  and  a  psycho¬ 
logical  building  of  a  program  as  over  against 
our  usual  “opening  exercises.” 

We  are  planning  to  have  one  or  two  big  dem¬ 
onstrations  of  fine  arts  and  religion  this  com¬ 
ing  year.  In  these  instances  I  shall  endeavor 
to  demonstrate  various  programs  which  may 
be  used  for  Easter  and  Christmas,  i.  e.,  visual¬ 
ization  through  lantern  slides,  tableaux,  pag¬ 
eantry,  and  music. 

Whenever  possible  I  have  conferences  with 
choir  leaders  and  discuss  the  possibility  of 
making  the  hymn  book  live  and  making  the 
choir  the  leaders  in  training  congregations  to 
sing. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

Charles  F.  Boss,  Jr. 

191 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


13 

North  Topeka,  Kansas. 

I  do  not  know  of  any  special  effort  that  is 
being  put  forth  in  my  church  outside  of  the 
regular  services  and  use  of  the  hymns.  We 
have  a  junior  church  that  is  using  the  Hym¬ 
nals  together  with  the  adult  congregation 
each  Sunday  morning  for  the  opening  devo¬ 
tions,  at  which  I  am  giving  a  few  minutes’  in¬ 
structions  in  the  use  and  the  meaning  of  the 
hymns.  I  have  a  choir  leader  who  is  a  great 
lover  of  The  Methodist  Hymnal,  and  is  more 
concerned  about  getting  the  congregation  to 
sing  than  he  is  his  choir.  He  is  succeeding  in 
his  efforts,  too. 

Frequently  we  have  a  Sunday  set  aside  for 
the  special  study  of  hymns.  For  instance,  next 
Sunday  is  “Hymn  Sunday.”  At  the  morning 
service  we  will  have  a,  sermon  on  hymnology 
from  a  historical  and  practical  point  of  view. 
Occasionally  we  have  an  evening  of  hymn  sing¬ 
ing,  with  a  few  points  of  interest  told  concern¬ 
ing  each  hymn  sung.  This  is  the  program  for 
our  “Hymn  Sunday.”  We  have  some  evenings 
in  which  we  sing  hymns  all  from  one  hymn 
writer,  with  a  biographical  sermon  on  this 
writer.  We  do  not  sing  so  many  hymns,  but 

192 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 

generally  sing  all  of  the  verses  of  each  one  we 
do  sing. 

Yours  very  truly, 

R.  E.  Gordon. 

14 

Rockford,  Ohio. 

First  of  all,  the  people  must  be  made  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  Hymnal. 

The  way  to  accomplish  this  is  by  having 
ministers  who  know  its  value,  the  ingredients 
of  its  greatness,  the  history  of  the  hymns  and 
tunes,  and  who  know  how  to  read  both. 

I  maintain  that  the  Hymnal  is  the  greatest 
of  all  books  next  to  the  Bible,  and  every  time 
I  have  had  a  chance  to  prove  it,  I  have  reasons 
to  believe  that  I  have  been  enabled  to  do  so. 

Permit  me  to  emphasize  this  aspect  of  the 
case — that  is,  the  ministers  must  learn  how  to 
read  the  hymns  aright  before  the  people  shall 
be  impressed  with  the  merits  of  the  Hymnal. 
I  affirm  that  this  is  imperative. 

Take  an  instance  of  what  I  mean :  open  your 
Hymnal  and  turn  to  Hymn  No.  2.  Read  the 
lyric  to  the  end :  “Come,  thou  almighty  King.” 
What  is  the  mode  of  the  first  three  stanzas? 
And  what  is  the  reason  for  changing  the  mode 
in  the  last  stanza?  Then,  how  should  they  be 
sung? 


193 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 

Turn  now  to  No.  448.  Why  are  the  words: 

“Though.  hosts  encamp  around  me. 

Firm  in  the  fight  I  stand, 

sung  in  the  minor  key?  These  things  must  be 
known  before  the  people  will  enjoy  the  Hym¬ 
nal  as  they  ought. 

Most  sincerely, 

W.  T.  Williams. 


15 

Whitewater,  Wisconsin. 

In  the  church  our  effort  has  been  to  get  away 
from  the  cheap  type  of  music  and  render  in 
anthems  such  composers  as  Barnby,  Shelley, 
Dudley  Buck,  etc.  In  the  Sunday  school  we 
have  got  them  to  discard  the  revival  type  of 
song  book,  and  now  use  The  Hymnal  for  Amer¬ 
ican  Youth.  My  next  move  is  a  small  orches¬ 
tra,  but  we  have  our  school  fully  graded,  and 
we  find  we  need  every  moment  for  reading  the 
lesson,  so  that  our  care  will  be  not  to  make 
the  orchestra  too  prominent,  its  work  being 
principally  to  assist  in  introducing  the  new 
hymns.  Then  we  are  planning  to  give  a.  num¬ 
ber  of  pageants,  and  here  the  orchestra  will 
be  used. 

I  have  been  able  to  do  a  little  missionary 
work  along  the  music  line  among  my  brother 

194 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


ministers  and  in  our  Conference  Camp  Meet¬ 
ing,  where  I  have  been  in  charge  of  the  music 
for  three  years,  also  at  many  conventions. 
That  mission  is  to  raise  the  standard  of  our 
music.  People  will  and  can  sing  the  great 
hymns  and  noble  dignified  tunes  as  heartily 
as  they  can  the  “semi- jazz”  type. 

By  the  way,  I  do  not  allow  any  of  my  lady 
singers  to  wear  hats  on  Easter  Sunday  or  those 
special  occasions  when  such  a  millinery  dis¬ 
play — enough  said. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Allen  Adams. 

16 

Wisconsin. 

We  have  a  “Music  Committee,”  not  as  a 
formality,  but  a  live  one,  and  we  insist  that 
they  act.  They  make  a  study  of  the  musical 
needs  of  the  whole  church.  Then  they  come  to¬ 
gether  with  the  pastor  and  we  discuss  possi¬ 
bilities  and  program. 

At  present  we  have  a  chorus  choir,  with  a 
Manager,  and  Director  or  trainer.  The  Man¬ 
ager  has  complete  charge  of  the  organizing 
and  building  up  of  the  chorus.  She  selects 
most  of  the  music  and  is  a  first  soprano.  The 
Director  is  a  normal-school  professor  and 
meets  with  the  choir  just  for  rehearsals. 

195 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


Then,  we  have  a  ten-piece  church  orchestra 
and  a  young  people’s  orchestra.  The  church 
orchestra  plays  for  church  events  and  usually 
at  about  two  Sunday  evening  services  each 
month  from  September  to  June,  then  occasion¬ 
ally  during  the  summer. 

The  young  people’s  orchestra  plays  for  Ep- 
worth  League  and  Sunday  school.  Then  we 
have  a  live  musical  leader  for  the  Epworth 
League  service  and  he  is  “cheer”  and  “pep” 
leader  for  all  of  their  social  and  recreational 
events. 

We  also  have  a  Musical  Director,  different 
person,  for  the  Sunday  school.  He  has  the 
young  people’s  orchestra  with  him. 

All  of  these  musical  activities  are  under  the 
direct  management  of  the  Music  Committee, 
which  functions  about  one  hundred  per  cent. 
We  had  some  difficulty  when  we  first  began  to 
reorganize  to  secure  real  results  in  church  mu¬ 
sic.  But  we  are  fast  overcoming  them  and 
making  music  a  popular  part  of  our  church 
work. 

We  have  had  to  drop  and  ask  to  resign  a 
number  of  members  of  the  Music  Committee, 
but  we  do  so  in  a  hurry  if  we  discover  that  we 
have  picked  a  lemon.  When  I  came  to  this 
charge  I  found  the  Music  Committee  composed 

196 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


of  two  deaf  persons  and  one  who  never  came 
to  church.  They  did  not  last  long. 

Fraternally  yours. 

Fred  W.  Harris. 


17 

Bushnell,  Illinois. 

Last  fall  we  secured  the  services  of  a  trained 
director,  coming  Wednesday  evenings  for  re¬ 
hearsal,  and  to  direct  the  singing  Sunday  eve¬ 
nings.  The  singers  paid  twenty-five  cents  a 
week  tuition,  and  the  extra  goal  was  the  pres¬ 
entation  of  two  grand  oratorios  in  May.  “The 
Creation”  and  “The  Prodigal  Son”  were  pre¬ 
sented  at  that  time.  About  eighty  pupils  en¬ 
rolled,  some  fifty  to  fifty-five  as  an  average  at¬ 
tendance.  Singers  from  other  churches  were 
in  it  on  Wednesdays.  Our  singers  were  obli¬ 
gated  to  be  present  Sunday  evenings,  at  which 
time  we  used  for  special  numbers  selections 
from  the  above  oratorios.  This  summer  we 
had  a  “fourteen-weeks”  program  free  to  sing¬ 
ers,  asking  only  loyalty  to  practice  and  to  Sun¬ 
day  evening.  Expenses  were  paid  by  gifts 
from  friends  of  good  music  and  by  a  public 
pay  program  put  on  by  orchestra  and  choir. 

In  the  Sunday  school  we  have  a  ten-piece  or¬ 
chestra — two  cornets,  one  trombone,  one  bass 
viol,  one  drummer,  pianist,  four  violinists, 

197 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


with  extra  friends  occasionally.  The  local 
band  leader  directs  at  practice,  and  in  turn 
most  of  our  players  are  faithful  to  him  in  the 
band  work.  The  Sunday  school  pays  for  the 
books  and  the  players  own  their  instruments. 

We  sing  and  play  for  results.  Pieces  with 
personality  have  the  right  of  way.  We  adver¬ 
tise  our  music.  It  has  helped  to  get  the  crowds, 
to  get  them  to  help,  and  it  has  kept  our  church 
in  the  conversation  and  thinking  of  our  com¬ 
munity. 

The  main  factor  is  a  real  leader  in  this  de¬ 
partment,  then  an  efficient,  sensible  direc¬ 
tor.  I  think  every  congregation  has  much  un¬ 
used  and  latent  talent. 

Fraternally, 

Chas.  Vandethum. 

18 

Sycamore,  Illinois. 

The  experiment  began  three  years  ago,  when 
the  church  was  struggling  along  ;with  one 
choir  in  more  or  less  harmonious  condition. 

The  aim  was  to  secure  a  background  of  mu¬ 
sic  that  would  be  Methodistic  and  would  be  of 
sufficient  size  to  meet  all  requirements  of  the 
local  church  and  at  the  same  time  furnish 
enough  overflow  material  to  help  the  other 
churches  of  the  town. 


198 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


The  plan  was  as  follows: 

1.  The  Music  Committee  secured,  in  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  Choir  Director,  the  services  of  a 
local  musician  who  was  competent  to  teach 
any  musical  instrument.  Her  time  was  hired 
by  the  half  day  at  first.  She  was  furnished 
students  by  the  Music  Committee.  Other 
teachers  have  been  added  as  needed. 

2.  Any  child  who  was  a  member  of  our  Sun¬ 
day  school  was  offered  free  musical  instruction 
on  any  instrument  he  might  bring,  he  being 
asked  in  turn  to  become  a  member  of  one  of 
the  church  musical  organizations. 

3.  In  addition,  three  other  volunteer  persons 
were  put  in  charge  of  separate  vocal  musical 
organizations,  namely,  two  boys’  choirs,  two 
choirs  of  girls  of  high-school  age,  and  a  men’s 
choir. 

4.  It  was  understood  that  the  regular  church 
choir,  composed  of  some  seventeen  members, 
should  sing  only  at  the  morning  service  unless 
asked  to  put  on  a  special  concert  on  a  certain 
night. 

5.  The  pipe  organ,  which  was  a  new  one, 
was  opened  up  free  to  any  student  who  was 
competent  and  who  would  donate  his  services 
to  the  evening  meetings  of  the  church  as  he 
might  be  needed. 

6.  The  official  board  stood  behind  all  finan- 

199 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


cial  needs  of  this  movement.  Experience 
showed  that  the  movement  financed  itself. 

Results:  A  musical  organization  of  one 
hundred  and  forty-two  separate  persons  with 
six  choirs;  five  orchestras;  a  boys’  band  in 
process  of  formation;  six  pipe-organists;  and 
many  soloists. 

Every  evening  service  is  crowded  to  hear 
this  array  of  musicians.  At  one  service  one 
hundred  and  thirty  separate  singers  or  mu¬ 
sicians  appeared.  The  friends  of  these  per¬ 
sons  are  sure  to  attend,  and  this  gives  the 
preacher  an  audience  to  hear  him. 

James  O’May. 

From  the  Foreign  Field 

The  editor  had  not  intended  to  take  up  the 
foreign  field  at  all,  but  by  mistake  his  sten¬ 
ographer  sent  letters  to  the  Bishops  of  some 
of  the  foreign  areas;  and  the  following  inter¬ 
esting  letters  were  the  result. 

1 

Foochow,  China. 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  August  4,  would 
say  church  music  is  one  of  our  problems  in 
China.  The  most  of  our  Christians  come  to  us 
without  any  knowledge  of  anything  that  re- 

200 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


sembles  music  even  remotely.  Except  in  the 
larger  centers  we  have  ’but  few  singing  books 
and  fewer  organs.  The  few  organs  that  we 
have  are  of  the  superannuated  variety,  and 
when  new  were  baby  organs.  Methodism  does 
not  yet  have  a  pipe  organ  in  China.  Then  a 
great  majority  of  our  people  cannot  even  read 
the  hymns  if  they  had  a  book.  You  see,  there¬ 
fore,  that  we  are  up  against  something  of  a 
proposition. 

However,  we  are  teaching  music  in  all  of 
our  schools,  and  the  younger  generation  is 
coming  to  have  some  idea  of  what  church  mu¬ 
sic  means  as  an  aid  to  worship.  In  the  larger 
centers  we  have  choirs,  with  regular  rehears¬ 
als,  anthems,  etc.,  and  the  congregational 
singing  in  the  churches  made  up  largely  of 
students  from  our  schools  may  be  called  fairly 
good.  In  the  Theological  School  we  are  trying 
to  teach  the  men  to  sing  and  to  be  able  to  in¬ 
struct  their  congregations.  We  have  no  one 
who  is  doing  what  you  might  call  outstanding 
work  in  music.  Indeed,  our  workers  are  so  few 
that  no  one  can  give  full  time  to  music. 

I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  any  practical  sug¬ 
gestions  which  may  help  us  forward  in  this 
important  field. 

Sincerely, 


201 


F.  T.  Keeney. 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


2 

Cape  Town,  Soutpi  Africa. 

Yours  of  August  4,  referring  to  music  in  our 
churches,  is  before  me.  As  you  know,  our  work 
in  Africa  is  mostly  in  the  interior  among  the 
native  races,  and  the  study  of  music  with  us 
has  not  advanced  very  far.  Some  of  our  mis¬ 
sionaries  are  taking  a  keen  interest  in  it  and 
are  trying  to  get  music  adapted  to  Bantu  Hym- 
nology. 

I  am  sorry  that  I  am  not  able  to  furnish  you 
with  any  specific  information  such  as  you  seem 
to  desire,  but  I  shall  appreciate  any  sugges¬ 
tions  you  may  make  as  to  the  development  of 
native  musical  talent. 

With  every  good  wish, 

Yours  sincerely, 

E.  S.  Johnson. 

3 

Southern  Asia. 

Your  letter  of  August  4  is  received.  On  the 
mission  fields,  the  more  so  as  music  here  is 
radically  different  from  at  home,  while  we 
make  much  use  of  singing,  I  fear  we  cannot 
say  we  are  doing  much  to  develop  music  as 
such. 

However,  in  parts  of  the  work  we  are  devel¬ 
oping  as  far  as  possible  the  writing  of  native 

202 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


words  to  native  airs,  and  the  person  who  has 
given  most  thought  and  time  to  that  is  Miss 
Melva  Livermore,  Ghaziabad,  U.  P.,  India.  The 
Rev.  R.  D.  Bisbee,  Godhra,  Panch  Mahals,  In¬ 
dia,  is  giving  much  attention  to  the  develop¬ 
ment  and  practical  use  of  singing  bands  in  his 
evangelistic  work. 

If  your  investigations  lie  in  those  directions, 
I  would  suggest  you  write  to  those  two  per¬ 
sons.  I  am  sorry  I  am  unable  to  help  more. 

Yours  sincerely, 

J.  W.  Robinson. 

4 

Meerut,  India. 

Bishop  Warne  has  asked  me  to  respond  to 
your  letter  of  August  4  in  which  you  inquire 
what  is  being  done  for  the  development  of  mu¬ 
sic  throughout  our  Conference  and  the  Luck¬ 
now  Area. 

You  understand  that  the  development  of 
music  in  a  foreign  Conference  depends  largely 
on  the  native  music,  and  language  used.  There 
is  such  a  vast  difference  in  the  very  nature  of 
the  music  of  this  part  of  India  and  our  West¬ 
ern  music.  Rhythm,  time,  accent — everything 
is  different,  but  we  are  trying  to  develop  a 
Christian  hymnology  that  is  worthy  of  our 
great  Kingdom  enterprise.  In  the  first  place, 

203 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


of  course,  we  have  liad  translated  hundreds  of 
our  Western  hymns  and  have  taught  thou¬ 
sands  of  our  Christians  to  sing  our  tunes.  It 
is  difficult  for  them  to  get  the  time  and  accent, 
etc.,  as  we  do,  but  in  our  hundreds  of  schools 
the  young  people  respond  in  a  remarkable  way 
and  learn  the  tunes  quite  accurately. 

But  the  thousands  of  our  Christians  who  are 
unlearned  and  illiterate  must  depend  on  their 
own  simple  tunes  or  on  similar  tunes.  To  this 
end  we  have  enlisted  the  musicians  of  the  Con¬ 
ference  and  the  poets — Indian,  of  course — to 
prepare  Christian  songs  to  Indian  musical 
tastes.  Most  of  the  tunes  cannot  be  written 
with  notes  as  ours  are  but  must  be  learned  by 
ear  and  intuition.  There  is  great  freedom  in 
time  and  accent,  and  for  this  reason  congrega¬ 
tional  singing  of  the  strictly  Indian  tunes  is 
more  difficult.  However,  there  are  hundreds 
of  “Bhajans”  and  “Gazls” — strictly  Indian — 
that  are  now  being  sung  all  over  India.  And 
they  have  been  written  by  Indians,  of  course. 

There  is  one  man,  a  member  of  the  North¬ 
west  India  Conference,  the  Rev.  Prem  Hass, 
who  has  written  simply  scores  of  these  Indian 
Bhajans — music  as  well  as  words — if  you  can 
say  that  the  music  is  written.  It  is  worked 
out  in  his  own  mind  and  heart  and  then  taught 
to  others.  Of  course  there  is  a  great  similarity 

204 


NOTES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


in  the  construction  and  mechanical  part  of 
Indian  music,  and  the  people  soon  learn  a  new 
“twist”  or  “swing”  or  “accent”  or  “hold.” 
This  Christian  hymnology  for  this  area,  in  the 
strictly  Indian  music,  is  being  widely  learned 
and  more  and  more  used.  Strange  to  say,  how¬ 
ever,  the  schoolboys  and  girls  seem  to  prefer 
the  translations  of  our  stirring  Western 
hymns  with  the  Western  tunes.  The  Indian 
music  is  more  of  the  dreamy,  prolonged,  medi¬ 
tative  type.  I  am  speaking  of  this  area.  There 
are  several  very  well  defined  language  areas 
in  India  and  the  music  differs  with  the  type  of 
people  and  the  difference  in  language.  I  am 
informed  that  the  music  of  the  south  of  India 
is  more  aggressive  and  bold  and  stimulating 
and  more  developed. 

We  are  constantly  having  new  tunes  and 
hymns  written  and  published,  so  that  by  now 
we  have  hundreds  of  purely  Indian  Bhajans 
and  songs.  They  will  take  a  whole  story  or 
parable  and  tell  it  out  in  song.  The  whole  life 
of  Christ  is  put  into  one  song — that  is,  in  a 
much  abbreviated  form.  Our  singing  evan¬ 
gelists  are  among  the  most  successful.  If  a 
man  can  lead  a  group  in  a  song  with  the  simple 
gospel  message,  he  gets  a  hearing  at  once  in 
the  villages.  So  we  are  trying  to  teach  all  of 
our  boys  and  girls  in  our  schools  to  sing,  sing, 

205 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 

sing.  And  most  of  them  can  do  it  long  before 
they  get  through  our  schools. 

To  summarize  briefly,  I  should  say  that  we 
are  trying  to  develop  a  Christian  hymnology ; 
we  are  translating  our  Western  hymns  and 
using  Western  tunes  with  great  success;  we 
are  teaching  our  boys  and  girls  to  sing  well. 
We  are  encouraging  our  Indian  singers  and 
poets  to  write  new  hymns  all  the  time,  with 
good  success. 

Cordially  and  sincerely  yours, 

Ernest  E.  Tuck. 


206 

M 


APPENDIX  I 


Some  Good  Books  on  Church  Music 

1.  Practical  Church  Music ,  by  Edmund  Si¬ 
mon  Lorenz.  Fleming  H.  Bevell  Company, 
1909. 

2.  Music  in  the  Church ,  by  Peter  Christian 
Lutkin.  The  Young  Churchman  Co.,  1910. 

3.  Musical  Ministries  in  the  Church,  by 
Waldo  Selden  Pratt.  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co., 
1914. 

4.  The  Choir  Trainer’s  Art,  by  A.  Medeley 
Richardson.  Boston  Music  Company,  1914. 

5.  Choir  and  Chorus  Conducting,  by  F.  W. 
Wodell.  Theodore  Presser,  1901. 

6.  Choirs  and  Choral  Music,  by  Arthur 
Mees.  Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  1901. 

7.  Structure  of  the  Pipe  Organ,  by  William 
H.  Clarke.  The  Oliver  Ditson  Company. 

8.  The  Organ  and  its  Position  in  Musical 
Art,  by  H.  Heathcote  Statham.  Charles  Scrib¬ 
ner’s  Sons,  1910. 

9.  Illustrations  in  Choir  Accompaniment, 
by  Dudley  Buck.  G.  Schirmer,  1913. 

10.  Modern  Organ  Accompaniment,  by  A. 
Madeley  Richardson.  Longmans,  Green  &  Co., 
1907. 


207 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


11.  The  English  Hymn ,  by  Louis  Fitzgerald 
Benson.  George  H.  Doran  Company,  1915. 

12.  The  Hymns  and  Hymn  Writers  of  the 
Churchy  by  Charles  S.  Nutter  and  Wilbur  F. 
Tillett.  The  Methodist  Book  Concern,  1911. 

13.  The  Music  and  Hymnody  of  the  Method¬ 
ist  Hymnaly  by  Carl  F.  Price.  The  Methodist 
Book  Concern,  1911. 

14.  Concordance  to  the  Methodist  Hymnal , 
by  O.  S.  Baketel.  The  Methodist  Book  Con¬ 
cern,  1907. 

15.  The  Sto?'y  of  the  American  Hymn,  by 
Edward  Summerfield  Ninde.  The  Abingdon 
Press,  1920. 

16.  English  Hymns,  by  Samuel  W.  Duffield. 
Funk  &  Wagnalls  Company. 

17.  Hymn-tunes  and  Their  Story,  by  James 
T.  Lightwood.  Charles  B.  Kelly,  London,  1905. 

18.  Short  Stories  of  the  Hymns,  by  Henry 
Martyn  Kieffer.  Steinman  &  Foltz,  1912. 

19.  The  Evolution  of  Our  Christian  Hym- 
nology,  by  Francis  B.  Reeves.  The  John  C. 
Winston  Company,  1912. 

20.  Music  in  the  History  of  the  Western 
Church,  by  Edward  Dickinson.  Charles  Scrib¬ 
ner’s  Sons,  1902. 

21.  Hymn  Treasures,  by  Grace  Morrison 
Everett.  The  Methodist  Book  Concern,  1905. 


208 


APPENDIX  II 


List  of  Anthems  for  Beginning  Choir 
Suggested  by  Garnet  R.  Chafee 

1.  Easy 

1.  As  Pants  the  Hart ,  Porter.  Willis  Music 
Company,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Soprano  and 
tenor  solos. 

2.  Incline  Thine  Ear,  Himmel.  G.  Schir- 
mer,  Boston,  Massachusetts.  Contralto  or 
baritone  solo. 

3.  Just  As  I  Am,  Meredith.  Tullar-Mere- 
dith  Company,  Chicago  and  New  York  city. 
Contralto  or  baritone  solo. 

4.  Tarry  with  Me,  0  My  Saviour,  Baldwin. 
H.  W.  Gray,  New  York  city.  Baritone  solo. 

5.  0  Taste  and  See,  Dewy.  G.  Schirmer, 
Boston,  Massachusetts.  No  solo  parts. 

6.  As  Evening’s  Shadow  Falls,  Nevin.  Wil¬ 
lis  Music  Company,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  So¬ 
prano  solo  and  tenor  or  bass  solo. 

2.  Medium 

1.  The  Lar ghetto,  Beethoven.  Birchard  & 
Co.,  Boston,  Massachusetts.  Soprano,  tenor 
and  bass  solos.  May  be  used  in  unison. 

209 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 

2.  Jesus ,  My  Saviour,  Look  On  Me,  Pike. 
Willis  Music  Company,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Bass  or  contralto  solo. 

3.  Early  Will  I  Seek  Thee,  Bliss.  Willis 
Music  Company,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Soprano 
or  tenor  solo. 

4.  Softly  the  Silent  Night,  Winn.  Arthur 
P.  Schmidt,  Boston,  Massachusetts.  Soprano 
or  tenor  solo. 

5.  God  Shall  Wipe  Away  All  Tears,  Fields. 
Willis  Music  Company,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  No 
solo  parts, 

6.  I  Will  Praise  Thee,  Farmer.  Willis  Mu¬ 
sic  Company,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  No  solo  parts. 

7.  The  Radiant  Morn  Hath  Passed  Away, 
Woodward.  Oliver  Ditson,  Boston,  Massa¬ 
chusetts.  No  solo  parts. 


210 


APPENDIX  III 


The  following  is  the  prospectus  of  the  con¬ 
ference  on  music,  which  was  held  at  Rushville : 

“Make  a  joyful  noise  unto  Jehovah,  all  ye  lands.  Serve 
Jehovah  with  gladness.  Come  before  His  presence 
with  singing.” 

Ps.  100.  1,  2. 


Conference  on  Church  Music 

for  the 

CONNERSVILLE  DISTRICT  OF  THE 
INDIANA  CONFERENCE 
of  the 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

to  be  held  at 

ST.  PAUL’S  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL 

CHURCH 
Rushville,  Ind. 

February  8th  and  gth,  1921 


The  purpose  of  this  conference  will  be  to  promote  the 
appreciation  of  music  as  a  factor  in  the  work  and  wor¬ 
ship  of  the  church,  and  to  make  this  factor  more  worthy 
and  effective.  In  many  of  our  churches  there  is  no  spe¬ 
cial  music;  in  many,  also,  congregational  singing  is  at 
low  ebb;  the  character  of  the  music  used  is  in  many 
cases  not  fittest,  and  the  attention  given  to  this  subject 
is,  as  a  rule,  all  too  meager.  The  gospel  of  Christ  is  a 

211 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


singing  gospel,  and  music  of  every  suitable  kind  should 
have  a  large  place  in  the  program  of  the  church. 

The  program  will  consist  of  addresses,  discussions, 
and  Music. 

Representatives  of  the  DePauw  University  School  of 
Music  will  co-operate. 

Everyone  interested  is  invited  to  attend  this  con¬ 
ference,  but  those  in  each  church  who  are  especially 
responsible  for  the  music  are  urgently  invited. 

“Let  all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order.”  1  Cor. 
14.  40. 

“Be  not  drunken  with  wine,  wherein  is  riot,  but  be 
filled  with  the  Spirit;  speaking  to  one  another  in  psalms 
and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  singing  and  making 
melody  with  your  heart  to  the  Lord;  giving  thanks  al¬ 
ways  for  all  things  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
to  God,  even  the  Father;  subjecting  yourselves  one  to 
another  in  the  fear  of  Christ.”  Eph.  5.  18-21. 


TUESDAY  AFTERNOON,  FEBRUARY  8—2  P.  M. 
Music  in  the  Sunday  School 
The  purpose  in  this  session  will  be  to  look  at  the 
problem  of  music  in  the  Sunday  school  from  every  angle. 
Dean  Robert  G.  McCutchan  of  the  DePauw  University 
School  of  Music  will  make  an  address,  and  there  will  be 
discussions  and  music.  Pastors,  Sunday-school  super¬ 
intendents,  and  pianists  and  leaders  of  song  and  of  or¬ 
chestras  in  Sunday  schools  will  be  especially  interested 
in  this  session. 

TUESDAY  EVENING,  FEBRUARY  8—7:30  P.  M. 

Festival  of  Sacred  Music  Given  by  Leading  Choirs 

Within  the  District 

The  program  will  begin  with  a  brief  organ  recital,  to 
be  followed  by  special  numbers  by  the  choirs. 

212 


APPENDIX  III 


All  who  love  music  will  rejoice  at  the  privilege  of 
attending  such  a  service. 


WEDNESDAY  MORNING,  FEBRUARY  9 

9:30  A.  M. 

Music  at  the  Regular  Sunday  Services 
To  be  led  by  Dean  McCutchan 

The  aim  will  be  to  touch  on  all  phases  of  the  music 
at  these  leading  services  of  the  church,  including  con¬ 
gregational  singing  and  the  use  of  the  hymnal.  Dean 
McCutchan  will  take  up  in  detail  many  of  the  hymns  of 
the  hymnal,  calling  attention  to  the  unused  treasures 
there. 

“Praise  Him  with  loud  cymbals:  Praise  Him  with  high 
sounding  cymbals.  Let  everything  that  hath  breath 
praise  Jehovah.  Praise  ye  Jehovah.” — Ps.  150.  5,  6. 


WEDNESDAY  AFTERNOON,  FEBRUARY  9 

2:00  P.  M. 

Revival  Music,  to  be  Followed  by  a  Consideration  o£ 

the  Pipe  Organ 

The  vital  topic  of  music  in  the  revival  and  evangelis¬ 
tic  services  will  be  considered  from  2  to  4,  outstanding 
leaders  taking  part.  At  4,  there  will  be  a  conference  for 
organists  and  those  who  are  especially  interested  in  the 
organ,  at  which  Professor  Van  Denman  Thompson, 
teacher  of  pipe  organ  in  the  Depauw  University  School 
of  Music,  will  give  the  address. 


WEDNESDAY  EVENING,  FEBRUARY  9 

7:30  P.  M. 

Festival  of  Sacred  Music  Given  by  the  Music  School 

of  DePauw  University 

Professor  Thompson  will  give  an  opening  organ  re¬ 
cital,  and  then  a  program  will  follow  by  the  DePauw 

213 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 


University  Choir  of  sixteen  voices,  under  the  direction 
of  Dean  McCutchan.  All  sessions  will  be  free,  but  a 
silver  offering  will  be  received  at  this  service. 


NOTES 

Entertainment  over  night  will  be  provided  for  those 
delegates  from  churches  of  the  district  who  wish  to  re¬ 
main  over  Monday  or  Tuesday  night.  Many  will  desire 
to  return  home  after  the  service  at  night,  but  others 
cannot  conveniently  do  so,  and  for  these  entertainment 
for  bed  and  breakfast  will  be  provided  by  the  homes  of 
Saint  Paul’s  Church.  Please  write  to  the  Rev.  C.  S. 
Black,  pastor  at  Rushville,  if  you  desire  entertainment, 
and  send  in  your  name  as  early  as  possible.  Luncheon 
will  be  served  in  the  church  by  the  Ladies’  Aid  Society 
at  a  nominal  price. 

Is  there  a  session  which  any  pastor  can  afford  to  miss? 

Besides  pastors,  choir  leaders  and  mem¬ 
bers  of  choirs,  organists,  pianists,  leaders  of 
congregational  singing,  leaders  and  mem¬ 
bers  of  orchestras,  and  members  of  music 
committees  will  find  this  conference  of 
special  interest  to  them  and  are  especially 
invited.  But  we  extend  the  invitation  to  all 
members  of  all  churches  and  to  the  public. 

John  M.  Walker,  Superintendent, 
Rushville,  Indiana. 


214 


* 


TWO  BOOKS  ON  CHURCH  MUSIC 

A  MANUAL  OF  ENGLISH  CHURCH 
MUSIC.  By  George  Gardner  and  S. 
H.  Nicholson.  The  Macmillan  Co.,  New 
York. 

Better  music  in  our 
CHLfRCHES.  By  J.  M.  Walker.  The 
Abingdon  Press,  New  York. 

The  first  of  these  volumes  is  half  way 
between  a  treatise  and  a  dictionary.  That 
is,  it  consists  of  some  forty  brief  articles 
alphabetically  arranged,  running  from 
“Amens”  to  “Trope,”  and  covering  most 
subjects  of  practical  musical  importance. 
It  contains  some  exceedingly  wise  advice 
on  the  choice  of  music  and  some  very  use¬ 
ful  lists  of  really  appropriate  cantatas,  set¬ 
tings,  etc.,  but  suffers,  as  such  books  are 
apt  to,  by  exaggerating  the  universal  ne¬ 
cessity  of  music  at  all  times.  It  even  urges 
that  congregations  of  six  or  eight  should 
sing  the  Psalter,  unaccompanied,  at  Even¬ 
song,  a  suggestion  that  ’scarcely  sounds  en¬ 
couraging.  And  it  lays  too  much  stress  on 
the  educability  of  the  musical  taste  of  the 
rank  and  file;  a  choirmaster  who  would 
attempt  to  make  the  members  of  a  small 
mission  sing  plainsong  hymns  without 
rhythm  or  to  vary  the  tempo  of  modern 
hymns  from  5-4  to  4-4  and  back  again 
would  have  to  be  something  of  an  optim¬ 
ist. 

The  other  book  is  written  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  Methodist  Church  and 
consequently  contains  much  that  'hardly  ap¬ 
plies  to  our  own  body.  Here  the  exhorta¬ 
tion  not  to  go  beyond  the  abilities  and 
taste  of  the  congregation  is  carried  to  the 
furthest  extreme :  “If  ‘O  Love  that  will 
not  let  me  go’  does  not  appeal,  and  ‘Mother 
will  be  there’  does,  use  ‘Mother  will  be 
there’.”  Our  first  book  takes  just  the  op¬ 
posite  point  of  view  in  its  article  on  “Mis¬ 
sion  Hymns,”  arguing  (p.  113)  that  a  con¬ 
version  produced  by  the  emotional  effect 
of  cheap  music  is  bound  to  produce  a  re¬ 
action  “when  the  drug  has  spent  its  force.” 
There  is,  no  doubt,  real  truth  in  this,  but 
our  Methodist  brethren,  after  all,  have  had 
some  profound  experience  in  the  psychol¬ 
ogy  of  religion ;  they  realize  that  music, 
even  the  best  music,  is  a  means,  not  an 
end.  b.  s.  e. 


Music 


BETTER  MUSIC  IN  OUR  CHURCHES 
By  John  Mann  Walker 

gOME  time  ago  a  series  of  conferences  was  held  in  Indiana 
under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  John  M.  Walker,  D.D.,  to 
“awaken  and  direct  interest”  in  church  music.  Some  of  the  ad¬ 
dresses  contained  in  this  volume  were  given  at  these  meetings, 
and  others  were  prepared  especially  for  publication  in  this  form. 
The  aim  of  the  volume  is  thoroughly  practical,  the  intention 
being  “not  so  much  to  make  a  contribution  to  music  as  to  the 
church,”  and  to  point  a  way  to  solve  “the  problem  of  using  music 
effectively  as  an  agency  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.” 

Size,  12mo  (5x7%  inches)  Price,  net,  SI. 25 

Pages,  Binding,  cloth 


JOHN  MANN  WALKER 

Dr.  Walker  was  born  in  Washington, 
Indiana,  February  3,  1874,  and  is  the 
son  of  the  Rev.  Francis  and  Mary 
Elizabeth  Graham  Walker.  He  grad¬ 
uated  from  the  public  schools  and  high 
school  of  New  Albany,  Indiana;  from 
De  Pauw  College  (1893)  and  from  De 
Pauw  University  (1896)  with  member¬ 
ship  in  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  He  took  a 
special  course  in  rhetoric  and  oratory, 
University  of  Chicago  summer  of  1899; 
graduate  '  from  the  Boston  University 
School  oi  Theology,  1904,  with  degree 
of  S.T.B.;  and  took  graduate  work  in 
Boston  University  School  of  Theology  in 
Old  Testament  history  and  philosophy. 
De  Pauw  University  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Divinity  in  1914.  He  gave  several  years  to  teaching,  and  has 
served  the  following  pastorates;  North  Dennis  and  Beachmont, 
Massachusetts,  and  French  Lick  and  West  Baden;  Locust  Street, 
Greencastle;  Broadway,  Indianapolis;  and  Centenary,  New 
Albany;  these  latter  all  in  Indiana.  He  was  superintendent  of 
the  New  Albany  District  of  the  Indiana  Conference,  1913-18;  and 
is  now  superintendent  of  Connersville  District,  Indiana  Confer¬ 
ence.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Indiana  Conference  delegation  to 
General  Conference  of  1920.  He  has  been  deeply  interested  in 
music  since  his  boyhood  and  organized  the  first  district  gather¬ 
ing  for  the  improvement  of  church  music  ever  held  in  Methodism, 
The  present  volume,  “Better  Music  in  Our  Churches,”  grew  out  of 
his  work  in  these  district  gatherings,  the  results  of  which  were  so 
pronounced  and  gratifying.  Present  address,  Rushville,  Indiana 

20 


